How to Save a Life
by DarkenedxPhoenix
Summary: Living with a abusive Dursley's and having to endure a control freak Dumbledore, Harry's only savior from the abuse and relief from school is living in house 16, Magnolia street. Harry&Little Tonks please R
1. So You've had a Bad Day

Albus Dumbledore sighed as he paced his office. This school year was nearly over, meaning next would arrive carrying a raven haired boy, which he hadn't seen since that night. Mr. Dumbledore hadn't wanted him to arrive yet. 'Still too early in life!' he tried to convince himself, as he had multiple times this year. He had grown more nervous since Old Miss Figg died. It was a shame really, and he did feel an ache in his heart. She had been a good friend to him, but old age had caught up with her.

However, quickly, an Andromeda Tonks moved into her old house, bringing with her a small child the same age as the boy causing Albus so much grief at the moment. He jumped slightly as his pet gave a loud cry and burst into flames, smiled slightly at the thought of the new creature that would soon be born from the ashes, and continued brooding over his issue. He finally sighed and shook his head slightly. He had cast ward upon ward to make certain that under no circumstances would this boy be exposed to his world, and yet, still, the chance presented itself in the form of a young Nymphadora Tonks, and Andromeda Tonks. He sighed, yet again, as he thought of a way to remove the Tonk's from the premises. With a business-like swish of his robe, he was gone from sight.

xXxXxXxXx

Andromeda was about five feet from the door, her child in tow, when there was a knock. She grumbled as a small Nymphadora went to the couch and plopped down. The older Tonks pulled the door open to come face to face with Dumbledore.

'Good to see you Albus. To what do I owe the pleasure?' She questioned, forcing a smile. Her daughter had been, as the one in question put it, 'The brinks of insanity from boredom.', and they were one their way to the park.

'If I may, could we please speak of the matter in...' He glanced over as her daughter, 'private?' She slowly nodded her head and walked into the kitchen.

'I'm sorry to just show up, but I have a request.' Albus murmured before stopping and glancing towards the door, where purple hair barely stuck out. Her mother noticed it, as she walked over and told her to wait, and they'll go in a few minutes. Tonks stomped up the stairs as loudly as possible, for the satisfaction of knowing she had made that picture fall off the wall for the tenth time, and she knew if drove her mother up the wall. However, returning to the conversation, you would hear this.

'So, I must ask you to do an Unbreakable Bond to keep him from knowing.'

'Albus, you can't do this to the boy. He's about to reach the age to go to the school, and he rightfully should. You've sheltered him for nearly 10 years. Isn't that torture enough? I was walking by the other day, and heard a pained...noise, for lack of better word, echoing from the house loud and clear, followed by a bang and yelling. We might not have a Boy-Who-Lived if he doesn't get a chance to get away soon. But no, I'm afraid I can't cooperate with your request.'

'Then I must ask you to leave Privet Drive.'

'ALBUS DUMBLEDORE WHAT ON EARTH IS WRONG WITH YOU? THE BOY DESERVES FULL WELL TO GET THE CHANCE TO MEET SOMEONE ELSE. I'VE HEARD RUMORS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO SEND HIM TO A SCHOOL WHERE HE'LL MOST LIKELY DIE IN THE FIRST WEEK! I WON'T LEAVE HERE, AND I WON'T LET YOU DO THIS TO HIM, YOU HEAR ME?' She hollered, the picture knocked down earlier falling yet again.

'Please, don't do this. I have no choice in the matter, it's for his safet-'

'DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT HIS SAFETY AFTER WHAT I HEARD COMING FROM THAT HOUSE! I WENT TO THE WINDOW TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON, AND THEY WERE BARKING FOR HIM TO FINSIHED BREAKFAST FASTER, AND WITH THE CHORES HE'S FORCED TO DO, I'M SURPRISED HE'S STILL ALIVE!'

'Very well.' And with that, he was gone.

'Nymph, come on, let's go!' She called up the stairs and received the answer of, 'DON'T CALL ME THAT!'

xXxXxXxXx

_How to Save a Life_

_So You've Had A Bad Day_

A young boy jumped slightly as his horse-like aunt beat on his cupboard door.

'GET THE HELL UP FREAK!' She shrieked through the door. 'AND DON'T BURN ANYTHING.' Harry Potter, the boy whom this story is based around, sighed. His pleasant dream nearly lost, but came back vividly as he called up the memory again. It was a strange one of a fight between and old man, and a brown haired woman.

From the part that was missing, Harry assumed that they could have been talking about anyone, but he hoped that they would come rescue him. Actually, he wished anyone would come and get him out of this hell of a life. Harry Potter was a scrawny boy, around the age of ten, and almost forgetting that he would be turning eleven in about three days. The small boy's memories went over to the first time he had mentioned his birthday to his relatives. Harry had received a sprained wrist as a birthday present. He didn't know what he had done to the Dursley's to make them made, but it must have been bad for then the always be mad at him. Harry then realized he'd taken a minute or two brooding over this and quickly jumped out of the cupboard and got over to the oven just in time to get the bacon on a plate before it started to turn black.

At that time, a rather large man walked in, and eyed Harry trying to find something wrong. When he saw nothing, he just started on him over how untidy Harry's hair was. Harry was walking over with the bacon when his large cousin, who was already at the table kicked the back of his knee, causing Harry to fall forward, throwing the bacon out of his hands and on his Uncle Vernon. At this, he made a noise like an angry bull and hit Harry in the stomach with his fist. Harry made a grunt, but that was it. This was nothing really to Harry. His fractured elbow had hurt worse, and as time seemed to slow, he thought of other injuries that had hurt much worse. But this one soared towards the top as he slammed into the refrigerator.

Harry did the unforgivable and let out a very loud yelp of pain, realizing that it was almost an alike sound the woman had mentioned from his dream. He know he had a bad injury somewhere, but couldn't place it as his whole back was on fire. Vernon's eyes bulged as the sound seemed to hit home. He had sinned. He showed pain. At this he started screaming at Harry about being weak. Finally, he stopped to catch his breath, then sat down.

'Bring me some more bacon, and you'd better hope that it's ready real quick.' At that time, there was a knock on the door.

'Go get it, Boy!' Harry's entire back shrieked in protest, but he fought it and opened the door, only to be grabbed by the collar of his shirt and pulled out. He found himself face to face with the woman in his dream.

'Look, Mr. Potter, I know you don't know me, but you'll be receiving a strange letter in a day or two. Don't let your relatives see it. When you get it, come to house number 16, Mongolia Drive, and knock five times, then ring the doorbell. If anyone asks, I was a salesman trying to sell glue.' Harry nodded slowly then walked back in as the woman jogged off. That was interesting to say the least. He walked back in to the kitchen.

'Who was it?'

'Some guy trying to sell glue.'

'Let me tell you, the people these days...' At this, Harry tuned his uncle as he complained to his wife about 'people these days.' Not knowing that the old man from his dream was sending off a strange letter with a knot in his stomach.

xXxXxXxXx

As Harry got up to the rapping on the door and shrieking of Mrs. Dursley, he realized that he turned eleven today. There was no point is mentioning it, though, since he would just end up in worse shape then last year, and more then likely would result in broken body parts, so he pulled himself off of his miniature mattress and got to working on their breakfast.

Harry, after being hit in the shins with his cousin's Smelting stick, picked up the mail and found the strange letter. He immediately shoved it under the door the his cupboard and ate his poor excuse for a meal. As his relatives kicked him out when they didn't have chores for him to do, Harry swiped the letter from under his door, and walked out. The raven haired boy then jogged 12 houses down and did exactly as he was told. After ringing the doorbell, the door was immediately opened by a girl, about the same height as him, but other then the brown hair, she was an exact replica of the dream version of her.

'Do you have the letter?' She asked, cutting straight to the point. Harry nodded and was then wrenched in by his collar. As the fabric tightened against his back, he accidentally let out a yelp of pain. She looked at him with a curious eye and closed the door.

'I guess mum was right. What'd they do to you?' She asked. He felt as though he could trust her, but he didn't know why.

'I was thrown into the side of the refrigerator.' He muttered before his eyes got big and he slapped his hand over his mouth. How could he be so stupid as to let that slip?

'God they're worse then she said.' She said with little emotion. 'HEY MUM! HE'S HERE!' She suddenly screamed, making Harry jump and wince as the fabric rubbed against his back. The young girl then walked him over and pushed him into the couch, from which he jumped off of as though it were on fire.

'Can't sit. Back still hurts.' He said quietly and with little emotion showed on his slightly flushed face. He already figured the damage was done. He was still embarrassed over how they treated him.

'Could you pull up the back of your shirt for me please Harry? I think I can help you. Oh, and i forgot to tell you. My name's Andromeda, and that's Nymphadora.' The girl made an irritated noise in her throat and glared daggers at her mom.

'Muuuuuuuuum! I _hate _ that name!' She then rounded on Harry. 'Call me that and I swear I'll rip out your spleen and...uhh...I'll give it a nice scrubbing to get it clean then I'll put it back nicely and forget I ever said that?' She said, suddenly changing to an innocent voice under her mothers look. He mom smiled slightly, then looked at Harry.

'Could you pull your shirt off for me, dear?' She said with a slightly grim expression. Nymphadora's face turned slightly red as she promptly glanced at the others in the room. As she started to flush a little deeper, she turned and walked out of the room. Harry, who was slightly flushed also, slowly pulled his shirt off.

'_Holy crap, I'm gonna kill that man. He's skinny as a rail. Hell, the rails probably bigger._'

'Here, could you turn around?' He did so. He heard Mrs. Tonks mutter something, then his back instantly felt better.

'That's amazing.' He said quietly. 'Yeah, it's amazing all right. Amazing that you can still walk.' She said, her voice dripping in hatred.

'You can come back Nymph, we're through.'

'K', Mum." She called back. 'And don't call me that!'

The younger Tonks walked in, bringing with her a plate of cake. She plopped back down in a chair, and continued eating. Harry's face turned down slightly at the sight, but quickly hid it. Emotions and expressions were sin in Harry's mind. Andromeda seemed to have missed as she turned to him.

'Do you have the letter?' She asked simply.

'Uhm...Yes ma'am.' He said stuttering slightly as he pulled it out of his back pocket.

'Well then, go ahead and open it. I think I'm going to go nick some of that cake myself.' She said, leaving the room and heading for the kitchen. Nymphadora nearly leaped to the couch from where she was and started prodding Harry.

'Go on! Open it! I haven't gotten my letter yet! Open it!" She said all of this really fast and was poking Harry in the shoulder the whole time. He glanced at the girl sitting next to him out of the corner of his eye, then slowly started to open it. He pulled out what appeared to be parchment, and folded it open. Nymphadora gasped next to him.

'You really _are_ Harry Potter! Do you really have that scar?' She asked.

"NYMPHADORA TONKS I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE HIM ALONE ABOUT THAT!" Her mother hollered from the kitchen. Harry snickered, leaving Tonks to glare at him. He went back to the parchment, and nearly dropped it in shock. There was no way. It wasn't possible! How could he, the boy who had to set his own broken bones, and heal his injuries himself, and had been abused for eleven years, be a wizard?

'How can this be possible?' He muttered.

'Cuz' your parents were wizards. Consider yourself lucky. My dad ran out on my mom right after I was born because I levitated my Wampi.'

'Uhm, Nymphadora, what's a Wampi?' Harry asked. She scowled and muttered, 'Remember what I said about ripping out your spleen and beating you to death with it?' He nodded. 'I wasn't kidding. Call me Tonks if you want to continue to have a spleen.' She then continued in a normal voice. 'But my mum didn't tell dad, she was still waiting, but then he figured it out after seeing me with it levitating. So, he ran out on us.' Harry's small smile that had been worked up in the time of finding our he's a wizard, faltered.

'I'm sorry.' He said, but she waved it off.

'But how I can I be a wizard anyway? I'm not all that great!'

'Hmm...k, you're not a wizard, eh? Then tell me how some strange things occurred when you were extremely angry or sad?' Tonks asked, grinning ear to ear. He thought about his cousin's last birthday.

'Uhm, I did accidentally set a boa constrictor on my cousin a few months ago. I had been talking to it, and my cousin punched me in the ribs. When I fell down, the glass just sort of vanished. The snake slid out, thanked me, and went off.' By this point, Tonks had nearly fallen off the couch in laughter. He waited, a smile playing his face as he remembered. However, it fell as he remembered what happened after they got home. His arm had just healed. He remembered the pain as he pulled the bone back into place and wrapping the hole that the bone had made in his arm. Tonks noticed this and set a hand on his shoulder in concern. He flinched and jump back as though her hand were on fire.

'What's wrong?' She asked. He shook his head. 'Don't give me that crap, what's wrong?'

He sighed. 'I really don't want to talk about it.'

'It usually helps if you do.' He sighed.

'Well, I got home, and was thrown in almost. My uncle started yelling about being a freak. I guess I know what he means now. I said I didn't know what happened, that it was almost like magic. He punched me in the arm, snapped right above the elbow, and when I landed, it when through my skin because I stuck out my hands to catch myself. Then he through me in the cupboard and locked it. It just head about two weeks later.' By now, Tonks had tears in her eyes, and Andromeda, who was listening in the kitchen. She had thought it would be a good idea to leave them alone, let them get to know each other. She had never expected this to happen.

Tonks silently reached over and pulled up Harry's arm to see a circular shaped scar. Trying to resist the urge to hug him, and regain her composure, Tonk's changed the subject.

'So, yeah...you're a wizard!' He nodded slowly. 'You know what Quidditch is?' She asked, getting excited again. 'Well duh, no, come on, I'll show you, you hafta see this!' She grabbed him by the arm, and started to pull him up, but he stopped as he saw the clock.

'I have to get home. Dammit I'm late. I'll have hell to pay.' He said, jumping up and bolting to the kitchen.

'Thanks for letting me see that Mrs. Tonks. I have to go or the Dursley's'll ki-' He cut himself off at the thought. They probably would if they found out he knew what he was. 'Erm, I mean, they won't be happy. Thanks again!' He said, and ran the whole way home.

'It's amazing that he's still sane.' Tonks muttered to her mother as tears ran down her face. How could someone be so heartless? She turned to her mother.

'Mum, we have to find a way to get him out of there. We might get a Boy-Who-Died-From-Muggle-Abuse if we don't.'

xXxXxXxXx

Harry wrenched the Dursley's door open and ran in. He came face to face with the man he was dreading.

'WHY AREN'T YOU IN THERE COOKING MY DINNER BOY?' His uncle yelled, punching Harry in the stomach.

'YOU'RE AUNT HAD TO COOK! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO YOUR AUNT? TO US? AFTER ALL WE'VE DONE FOR YOU, YOU JUST DECIDE THAT CHORES ARE BELOW YOU?' Harry was punched again, this time in the face. The raven haired boy gasped as he felt his nose crack, but didn't say a word or make a sound. By the time Uncle Vernon was done, Harry had, what he thought, was a cracked rib, a displaced shoulder, a broken nose, and his pinkie finger was fractured. Harry staggered up the stairs, to his room, which he had been forced in when his aunt complained about not having a place to keep her brooms, mops, and other stuff. He sat down and immediately jumped back up as he felt something poking him in the hip.

Harry pulled out a mirror from his pocket, which when he turned it over, saw a note.

_Harry,_

_Look at this and say Nymphadora Tonks into it._

_Tonks_

xXxXxXxXx

Over on 16 Mongolia Drive, a Miss Nymphadora Tonks was getting scared. She picked her two way mirror back up and muttered, 'Harry Potter'. It showed a ceiling, meaning he had found it, and then heard a scream. It died down, and was followed by a whimpering sound and panting.

'KEEP IT DOWN IN THERE FREAK!' Tonks heard as the noise continued.

'Harry?' She whispered, hearing a mattress squeak as the mirror started to move to show a bloody Harry.

'Harry what happened! Why did you scream?' She whispered franticly. She noted the sweat covering his face.

'Later.' He whispered, his voice cracking.

'No, it doesn't matter, we're breaking you out of there.' She said quietly.

'NO!' He yelled, then a look of fear dawned over his face. 'Look, how do you close this connection?'

'Why?' She asked, but then figured out why as the door slammed into the wall, knocking a piece of it off. Harry tossed the mirror and it landed upside down on his bet, but hit an angle so that she could see what was going on, as she turned her mirror upside down also. She watched in horror as she saw Harry get thrown around the room like a rag doll, yet never making a sound. Finally, Harry a heap in the floor, his uncle left, slamming the door.

Tonks watched him push himself up off the ground, yelp and fall again, then push himself up again. He staggered over to his bed, seeming to forget about the mirror and fell onto it.

'Sorry you had to see that, Tonks.' He muttered, then she watched as he lost consciousness. Tonks couldn't bring herself to sleep that night, and contemplated on how to get Harry out of that hell hole.

AN: Hi! First thing's first.

I don't own anything in this fic, except the plot. - DISCALIMER!

Thank you Regulus for letting me use the idea of Tonks being a little kid and living in the Harry vs. Voldemort era.

This is a combination of the prologue and chapter one. Prologue stops where the title of the fiction is.

Ok, now onto my ramblings. This and the next few chapters have been written before hand. This fic was made to take the place of my Harry Potter fic, Let Her Cry. I realized that I could really do better, and that's what I plan to do. I"m gonna blow my other fics out of the water. Also, leave reviews if you would like something to change for the next few chapters. I still have time to change some things, although, the Dursley's'll be mean people in this fic, so I can't let up on the abuse. It'll take away from the story I'm afraid. Finally, I was going to make this a Harry/Ginny fic, but there are just too many opportunities for Harry and Tonks that I've decided to make it a Honks fic. I'm still for Harry/Ginny in canon though. Don't think Harry and Tonks will get together in the books. Just wouldn't seem right coming from her.


	2. Do you enjoy having a spleen?

_How to Save A Life_

_Do You Enjoy Having a Spleen?_

Tonks had paced her room all night, and finally came up with a plan. Not being able to sleep, she said on her bed, and decided that she could wait until her mom woke up. She got bored about three minutes later and started training up her metamorphmagus abilities. She recently started studying full body transformation, and tried it, turning into her mother, Dumbledore, and had just gotten Harry when she saw her mom walking by.

Forgetting she looked like Harry, Tonks walked up to her mom. Andromeda heard footsteps coming from behind her, and looked over her shoulder. The elder Tonks jumped as she saw Harry standing there.

'Harry, when did you get here?' She asked catching her breath. Tonks sniggered, and turned back into herself.

'Sorry mum, was changing into people and forgot that I wasn't me. Anyway, I know how we can bust Harry out of there. Tonks explained her plan and her mother's face became an uninterpretable expression.

'I'm sorry, but we can't do it. It's not our right to pull him from his home.' She said sadly.

'Mum! His uncle beat the crap out of him for screaming! Harry was screaming because I think he pushed a joint in place! There was a sick crack and screaming like someone had...had...' Her mom cut her off.

'Snapped a joint in place?' She said, trying not to laugh at the look on the child's face as she realized her mother was making fun of her.

''s not funny.' She muttered back.

xXxXxXxXxXx

Harry came to a few hours later. He groaned as his muscles all shrieked in protest as he pushed himself off his bed, the mattress groaning with him. He noticed the mirror no longer showed Tonks' face, so he assumed that she had closed the connection somehow. He reached over and picked it up muttering 'Nymphadora Tonks.' Her face showed up.

'Hey Harry! Get your lazy ass out of bed and get dressed. We have a late birthday present for you. And yes, we knew it was your birthday yesterday, we just didn't think you'd want to do anything about it cuz we just met and all.' He nodded and pushed himself off his bed, but fell back on with a groan.

'That rib never healed and I think I lost another one.' He muttered more to himself then Tonks.

'We'll fix it up later.' Came Andromeda's voice. 'Just hurry and get dressed.' Harry nodded and watched as the two-way mirror's connection closed. He finally pulled himself up and pulled a pair of Dudley's old jeans and a shirt. As Harry was headed down stairs, he heard someone knock on the door five times, then ring the doorbell. He instantly knew who it was, and pulled it open.

'Excuse me sir, is the head of the house here?'

'Yeah, right here, but I'll go get the walrus anyway.' He muttered, seeing Mrs. Tonks again. 'Uncle Vernon, there's someone at the door looking for the head of the house!' He heard loud footsteps coming to the door. Harry stepped out of the way as his uncle walked up.

'I'm the head of the house.' He said stupidly.

'Yes, we're here to pick up a Mr. Harry Potter.' Today, Harry noticed, Tonks had spiky turquoise hair, with eyes to match.

'Why do you want to pick him up?'

'To get him out of this hell hole. Now, Harry, have you packed your things?' He shook his head no, and Tonks stepped in.

'I'll help.' They both ran upstairs and heard his Uncle yelling.

'P-P-PETUNIA!' They heard. Tonks cackled evilly.

'Mum just pulled her wand out on him. Come on let's go.'

'Lovely people. Really.' The heard Andromeda mutter. She looked up. 'Come on, let's not watch the grass grow.'

'We're busting you out of here by the way, Harry' Tonks added.

'Uhm, ok Nymphadora.' He said, walking out of the dreaded house, taking extra care to slam the door as hard as he could..

'Do you enjoy having a spleen?'

'Sorta. If it's keeps me alive, then yes.'

'Then I would suggest you stop calling me that horrid name.'

They heard stomping coming from around the corner of a house, Harry looked up, fear in his eyes.

'Here comes the bull.' He muttered. Tonks looked behind her to see that he was infact correct. Vernon Dursley came around around the corner of the house. He grabbed Harry by the back of the collar, and dragged him out of view behind a series of tall bushes.

'MUM!' Tonks yelled, but she had already turned and was jogged over behind the bushes. She jerked out her wand and pointed it at the man.

'_VOLATILIS VIRUS!' _She yelled. Tonks winced, knowing the bat-bogey hex. She saw Harry come running out from around the corner.

'What happened?' She asked, noticing he wasn't bleeding for once.

'Big green balls with that looked like bat wings, attacking my uncle. She laughed, and started to walk off when Harry gasped.

'I forgot my Hogwarts letter! It's in that horrid place!' And without further notice, he set off after the house. Tonks made an annoyed sound in her throat before following. She saw the door had be slammed open, due to the dent in the wall. She ran up the stairs, to his room, and around the corner, she found him throwing stuff about haphazardly.

'Looking for this?' His fat cousin said grinning. At least, Tonks had assumed it was his cousin. Harry frowned.

'Give it.' He said, holding out his hand.

'Make me.' Harry made a quick grab for it, and felt his fingers start to close around the object before he felt it slip from his light grasp. Harry kicked Dudley in the stomach, his temper gone, and tried to grab it, but again it slipped from his grasp, and now, they had a mad fat kid to deal with. He reared his fist back, and slammed it directly into Harry's temple. Harry should have been sent sprawling, but as his eyes rolled into the back of his head, Tonks knew he was unconscious.

'Cute trick freak. Now come a get the rest of your knots.' He advanced on Harry and started to swing when his hand suddenly hit an invisible barrier. Somehow, Harry was able to cast magic while unconscious. That's when Tonks felt it. There was a sudden pulse of energy radiating from Harry. Tonks felt it hit her and lift her about an inch before dropping her again. She noticed a smile played the corners of his lips, but it fell when Dudley suddenly shot up about three feet from the ground, his fat legs running, but to no avail as he was facing up towards the ceiling, his back towards the ground. The letter was ripped from his stubby fingers and floated over, stopping infront of Tonks until she took it. She noticed an evil grin split his face in two.

His cousin squealed like a pig as he was floated to and unceremoniously dropped in the hallway. He leaped up off the ground and ran off. Tonks walked over and felt the barrier press against her, trying to force her away at first, and suddenly caught the falling Harry.

'Did you feel it?' Andromeda nodded and they both, set at a run, got to the Dursley's house. The saw the sight of a half conscious Harry with his arm around Tonks' neck, and her arm around his waist.

'Can one of you get his trunk? I couldn't get it.' Tonks said simply, and they staggered over to Andromeda.

xXxXxXxXxXx

They sat Harry on the sofa, not being able to use magic, as there were too many muggles around. Dumbledore turned to Andromeda and her daughter.

'I have a few questions, and I'll start with this one. Why were you at his house? I remember asking you to stay away from him.' At this Harry muttered, 'Thank god they did come near me.' Albus looked at him and nodded, seeming to take this as a sufficient answer.

'Harry, do you know anything about our world?'

Harry nodded and murmured again, 'Yeah, I'm part of it, aren't I? Can't wait to get to Hogwarts..'s gonna be fun...' As the shadow of a smile showed on his face, he fell asleep.

'Do you really want to take that away from the boy? Look at him! I think that's the first time I've ever seen him smile! Nymphadora gave him a two way mirror and heard the boy screaming in pain as what we assumed was popping a joint back in place!' Harry was aroused from sleep by her voice raising in pitch.

'Uncle Vernon ripped me off the ground by my arm to take me back up and throw me in my room. It pulled my shoulder out of place. Had to relocate it, and I did. Got beat again for screaming.' He continued to mutter, going in and out of sleep.

'Has this happened before, Harry?' He nodded and picked up his left arm.

'My arm broke, right above the elbow. When I fell, pushed through.' Was all he got out before he promptly fell to sleep again. Dumbledore sighed and shook his head.

'There's not much I can do, I'm afraid.' He said, no emotion in his voice.

'WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO? LET HIM LIVE WITH US, AT LEAST FOR THE REST OF THE SUMMER! IF HE GOES BACK AFTER THROWING HIS COUSIN OUT LIKE THAT, HARRY'S GONNA DIE! YOU HEAR ME? _DIE! _AND IT WILL BE TOTALLY YOUR FAULT,' She shrieked poking him in the stomach. 'FOR FORCING HIM TO LIVE THERE!' The younger of the two Tonks screamed. Andromeda looked startled, but did nothing to stop her. Dumbledore slowly nodded. He hated to admit it, but the young girl was right. This was getting out of hand though. Control on keeping Harry safety was slipping.

xXxXxXxXxXx

Harry awoke to find himself in a strange bed. He jumped up, then fell back as his head pounded. This wasn't good. He'd probably dreamed all of this, and was really in his room, with his eyes playing tricks on him. He heard loud footsteps coming by his room.

'_It was a dream.'_ He thought sadly to himself. What a great dream. He was going to get away from the Dursley's. He heard a loud banging in his door. _'There's Aunt Petunia.'_

'I'm coming!' He said loudly, trying to get up.

'Oh no you aren't!' Tonks said brightly throwing the door open. 'You're not to get up for a hella time.' Harry's day instantly brightened. It wasn't a dream! He glanced over and saw a blurry shape leaning against the door.

'HEY MUM! HE'S AWAKE!' She screamed.

'Oww, Nymphadora, please. don't. yell.' He ground out from clenched teeth, as he heard the same thing come from down stairs, but without the pained sound.

'Oops, sorry Harry. And don't call me that! I thought we went over this!' She whispered. At that time, Andromeda walked in with a small vial.

'Here drink this.' She tipped the liquid into his mouth as he swallowed. 'It's actually for hang overs, but it should help all the same.' His head instantly felt better. He saw the larger blurry shape walk out as the smaller one walked in.

'How ya feeling?' She said, going back to being perky. She then tripped and fell flat on her face. Harry laughed as she scowled at him.

'Shut up. I've been doing this over the last few days and I don't know why. Really a pain.'

'Last few days? How long was I out?'

'A little under a week.' She said bluntly. 'Not surprising. You drained three-fourths of your magical reserves. Magical Exhaustion will do that to you.'

'A WEEK!' He sat up, this time without the head pain, and put his glasses on. His shocked expression turn down into a sad one.

'I guess this means I'm going back to the hell-hole.' At this, Tonks started laughing.

'It's too bad you were out. You missed a great show. After you conked out, Dumbledore came back and said he had changed his mind, and that you had to go back. Mum blew up on him, and started screaming about how you were too exhausted, and wouldn't make it. About three glasses in the house exploded as she went on and basically told him to bugger off. Haven't heard from him since. But we have two weeks before we go back to school. We're going to go to Diagon Ally later and get our stuff for school. Then we'll hang out here until start of term.'

Harry nodded his head with everything she said, and stood up.

'What time is it?'

''Round noon.'

'Let's go somewhere. What time are we leaving?'

'Uhhm...MUM WHAT TIME ARE WE LEAVING?'

'YOU HAVE AN HOUR TO DO WHAT EVER!' She yelled back.

'We're leaving at one.' She said grinning.

xXxXxXxXxXx

They walked out of the house and went to the park. They had played basically just played around, laughing and jabbing at each other as Tonks would trip occasionally, then tackle Harry when he laughed at her.

'Well, Freak, see you've got a girlfriend.' Came a voice. They looked up to see Dudley and his gang.

'Good to see you too Duddikins.' He said grinning.

"Hey fatso, melted any cars from your piggish smell lately?' She said, brightly as ever. Dudley swung his fist at her, but missed by a mile.

'Crap. You're slow aren't you? And I don't just mean in the head.' She said grinning, before slamming her knee between Dudley's legs. He squealed like a pig and fell over. His friends looked up at Tonks, all of them balling up their fists. Tonks turned and grabbed Harry's hand, pulling him back towards her house.

'That, right there, was priceless.' He said, swiping tears of laughter from his eyes. They had reached her house.

'Ready to go? Good.' The elder Tonks said, not waiting for a response. They walked over to the fireplace, and, after an explanation from Tonks, yelled 'Diagon Ally!' and disappeared. As things flew by, he had to shut his eyes to keep from vomiting. As he came to a stop, Harry was lurched forward out of the fireplace and face first into the floor. Tonks came after him, looked around, then down, and burst out laughing. Andromeda came next and, trying to hide her laughter, helped him stand up, and fix his glasses.

'Ok, Let's go then.' Andromeda said, pushing them towards a back room. Tonks giggled at the confused look on his face as he stared at the brick wall. He thought Andromeda had gone insane as she started tapping bricks with her wand. Harry's jaw dropped in shock as the bricks rearranged themselves to create an archway.

'Welcome to Diagon Ally!' The purple headed girl said brightly. Harry thought he was going to hurt his neck, looking around at everything as they walked. He wished he could sprout more eyes just so he could see everything.

'We'll need to stop by the bank and get some money to buy your stuff.' At this, Harry winced.

'Uhm, Mrs. Tonks. I don't have any money. The Dursley's never gave me the least amount of money.' He said frowning.

'You're parent's didn't leave you with nothing! They had a pretty good financial life, if the rumors were true.' She said grinning. Tonks looked at him in awe.

'You're rich? Don't wimp out on the birthday present if you're rich!' She said frowning. He laughed solemnly.

'Hope the Dursley's don't find out. They'll rob me blind.' He muttered. They walked into Gringotts. Harry was a bit startled.

'What are these things, Nymp?' He said, enjoying the fact that she was going to lose her temper. She swiftly punched him in the arm.

'Don't call my any version of my first name. And they're goblins. You'd be insane to try to rob this place. Goblins are smart, and they have a bit of force behind they're tiny bodies.' She whispered. 'Last break-in was a few decades ago. The barely had enough of a body to figure out the culprit.' Harry gulped loudly at the thought.

'There're supposed to be dragons, spells, wards, locks, and all this other stuff guarding them. I'd love to see a dragon. Tough skin mixed with ancient magic, nearly impossible to hurt them. Don't want to get within a hundred feet, mind you, but it'd be neat to see one.' She said with a grin, her mind somewhere else. They nearly ran into Mrs. Tonks as she stopped at a teller's desk.

'We need to get to vaults 192, and 687.' She said. The goblin seemed to think for a second.

'Vault 687 is a Potter vault. Without a Potter present, we can't grand entrance, due to the last Potter's will.' He said simply. Harry looked up.

'I'm a Potter.' He said hesitantly. The goblin sat up a little bit higher in his chair to get a better look.

'Very well. GRIPHOOK!' He called suddenly, making all three of them jump. A squat little creature walked up, and Harry realized what Tonk's meant in, 'tiny bodies'.

'Mr. Potter!' The teller called him. The boy in question turned around to see him holding a key.

'This is the key to your vault. Lose it and we'll have to take a blood sample as proof that you are who you say. If you wish for a copy, owl a request, with a vial filled with three drops of blood from you. We will send a key back. And for god's sake, don't owl your key anywhere! We have to replace more keys over that!' He said, then turned his attention to the next person who walked up. Harry assumed he was dismissed and ran to catch up with his friend. When he reached them, Andromeda was in a conversation with a large man. The man saw Harry and grinned. At least, that's what it looked like. It was a bit hard to tell through the beard.

'Good ter' see yeh again Harry!' He said in a booming voice. 'Las' time I saw , yeh was only a baby.' The large man wrung Harry's hand, his smile never faltering.

'Well, I'd better be goin'. Professor Dumbledore'll be want'n'...well...he'll be want'n' ter see me.' He said, stepping into a cart and speeding off.

'Oooookaaaay. Who was that?' He asked in shock. He had just had his arm wrung off by an overly large man, who sped off after mentioning something about Dumbledore. Andromeda seemed to be losing her patients.

'He's the grounds keeper at Hogwarts.' She said simply as a card screeched to a stop in front of them. 'What ever you do, don't lean over the sides. Don't wanna lose you.' She said to be both of them as they all stepped in. They shot off at a breakneck speed. Tonks seemed to be having fun until they started hitting the turns. Then she turned a slight green color.

'Don't barf on me.' He said, scooting away from her. She stuck her tongue out at him and slid down in her seat a little. About that time, they screeched to a halt.

'Vault 192.' He said simply. Andromeda stepped out, and opened the door. Harry could see a lot of shiny things, but couldn't make out much. She scooped some into a bag, then got back into the cart as the door closed itself. She had barely sat down before they shot off again. This time, they went deeper in. At every turn, Harry thought they would tip over, and Tonks and Harry both swore that they saw a dragon as they rounded one corner. This time, Harry tried to keep track, but found it nearly impossible. About a minute later, the screeched to a stop.

'Vault 687.' The goblin said. Harry hesitantly stepped out. After examining the door for a second, he found the key hole. Putting the key in the hole and turning it, he heard a series of loud clicks as the door slid into the wall. In front of him Harry saw the larges amount of these different metals then he had ever seen in his life. Mounts of gold, silver, and bronze were in his wake.

'Wow, you really are loaded aren't cha, Harry?' Tonks said. Harry yelped in surprise. He had forgotten that anyone else was around, and didn't hear her sneak up behind him. She laughed and helped him put a few hand fulls of the coins in his bag.

'So what does each different coin mean?' He asked as they sped back, he messaging his neck.

'The gold one are Galleons, silver ones are Sickles, and the bronze ones are Knuts. Seventeen Sickles to a Galleon, twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle.' Andromeda explained.

'And four hundred and ninety three Knuts to a Galleon.' Tonks added beaming. After some neck wrenching turns, they screeched again to a halt and stepped out of the cart. Tonks had to sit down for a second and let her stomach settle. Harry had to admit that she did look a bit green. After that, they walked out, and Andromeda directed them to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. They walked in and where directed to a stool. Next to Harry was a blond boy, who looked like he'd never been in the sun a day in his life. Harry had a large piece of black fabric slipped over his head, that was like a robe, except entirely too big. Harry noticed that needles started to fix it to fit Harry, and out of the corner of his eye, noticed the same thing was happening to the vampire-like boy, and Tonks.

'Are you going to Hogwarts too?' He suddenly asked. Harry immediately hated the sound of his voice. The way it drawled was annoying like nobody's business. Harry and Tonks both nodded.

'I am too. Which house do you think you're going to be in? I know _I'm _going to be in Slytherin. All of my family has been.' He said, smiling slightly. 'I think I'd change schools if I were in Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw. My parents would be ashamed if I were in Gryffindor, but it's as bad as the other two.' He said, his voice becoming more and more annoying.

'Actually,' Tonks said, her anger obvious. Had her mother not been off getting their books, she probably would have kept her anger better in check. 'My mother was in Ravenclaw, and some of my relatives were in Hufflepuff. I know his parents were both in Gryffindor.' She said, jerking her head towards Harry.

'I feel sorry for your family then.' He said simply, his voice clearly declaring he couldn't care less. Next thing Harry knew, the boy let out a high pitched scream as Tonks dug her knee into his crotch.

'Insult my mother again. I dare you.' She growled.

'I'll get you for that! You hear me!' Harry tried not to laugh at his voice. It sounded like he had inhaled a tank of helium. After that, a woman, who Harry assumed was Madam Malkin, and told him he could leave, while handing him an arm load of robes. The boy glared at Tonks and Harry again, and went out the door, with a funny walk. The woman then told the two of them that they could leave also, handing them a armload of cloaks each, as the pulled the ones they had off of them. They thanked her, paid, and left. After taking about two steps from the shop, Tonks cracked up.

'That was priceless!' She said between laughs.

'Remind me to never get on your bad side.' He said, helping her get to a store, which he noticed had a large sign over it that said Florish and Blott's Bookstore. He saw Tonks' mother walking out, as they walked up. She gave her daughter a strange look, before dragging them off to a store called Ollivanders. Harry pushed Tonks ahead of himself, which the man, whom Harry assumed was Mr. Ollivander, started with first. He noticed a tape measure start to measure Tonks in every way possible, while the man was talking about finding a wand and pulling many of different shelves, before it rolled itself up and landed neatly on the desk nearby. Mr. Ollivander started handing her wand after wand, sometimes letting her wave it, and watch for a second or two, before snatching it out of her hand and running of to get another, and the rest of the time, she had barely picked it up before it was snatched off and replaced with another. He seemed to get more excited with every wand that didn't agree with her.

'I've yet to have had someone without a wand! We'll find you one!' He would repeat occasionally.

Finally, after what seemed like half the store, a tired Tonks picked up a wand, and he grinned, as a small wind went through the store.

'Congratulations, Mrs. Tonks.' He said, before turning to Harry, and noticed the tape measure starting to measure himself. At this, Mr. Ollivander started to pull wands off and he went through the same routine as Tonks, however, he noticed that his stack of tried wands was getting larger then hers had been, had all of her wands not been in Harry's stack, having had tried them. Andromeda had conjured a chair for both her and her daughter, and they sat down watching him go through the entire store. Or, at least, that's what it seemed like to Harry.

Finally, the man, who, after seeing his eyes, decided was creepy, because they were milky white, but not as that of a blind. They had more of a haunted look to them. After a loud crash, and laughter, the man came back with a long dusty box.

'Sorry about that. Finally got rid of a horrid family heirloom. Of course by accident. Real shame.' He said, and Harry got the impression that it wasn't an accident at all, and that this man felt no shame over losing it at all. Harry grasped the wand handed to him, and immediately felt strange. Suddenly, a pulse came from the wand, that went off for miles and miles.

Tonks jumped out of the chair, having been successfully awoken from her nap, and looked around, and Andromeda had a strange look.

Far away, Dumbledore felt the pulse, and summoned up a small silver trinket. After prodding it with his wand a few time, his face turned to a grimace. It seemed as though they should all expect a lot from a certain boy. This magical pulse was incredible. The trinkets clicks and whirring noise seemed to make since to him, and he poked it with his wand again, and banished it away with a sweep of his wand.

Back in Diagon Ally, the man looked surprised. Harry sighed. By the look on everyone's face, that wasn't normal. Another thing that wasn't normal about him.

'Amazing.' Mr. Ollivander muttered.

'Excuse me, but...what's amazing?'

'You see, Mr. Potter, in this wand, is a tail feather, from a phoenix, who happened to give two feathers. The unusual thing is, there has never been a record of a phoenix giving more then one feather, if that much. The tail feather resides in the wand that gave you that scar.' He said mysteriously. At that Andromeda thanked the man, payed for their wands, and pushed them out the door. After collecting the rest of their supplies, they floo'ed home.

xXxXxXxXxXx

'So, who gave me my scar?' Harry asked later, idly stroking the snowy white owl he had gotten at the pet store, whom he had dubbed Hedwig.

'Uhm, let me think, mum told me once. Oh yeah!' Tonks was cut off by a loud crack from downstairs. They stood up from Tonks' bedroom floor and, after putting the owl in her cage, walked downstairs. They saw Dumbledore at the bottom of the stairs.

'Ah, Harry. Just the boy I wanted to see.' He said, his voice quiet as always. Or at least, the few times Harry had heard him. He walked up the stairs and met them at the top.

'May I borrow Harry for a moment.' He said looking at Tonks. It wasn't a question. She nodded and he swept Harry off to a guest bedroom he was staying in.

'Sorry to arrive without warning Harry, but I must talk with you. You see, the reason I've had you live at your relatives house for so long is that there is a ward protecting you from an evil man.' He then told Harry of Voldemort, and how his parents fought him. Of how they died, disproving the story of Harry's parents dying in a car crash.

'Sir, what have I done to make the Dursley's hate me so much?' He asked sadly, recounting some of the things the Dursley's did to him, while Dumbledore's face remained impassive.

'Nothing Harry. Some people seem to have a fear of what they don't understand, and they sometimes react violently. It was nothing you've done, and don't blame it on yourself.' He said. At that time, Andromeda knocked and opened the door.

'Harry, please, I want to ask you a question. Just from curiosity, what were you doing that night when Nymphadora contacted you through the mirror? She said she heard a crack and a scream.' Andromeda said this slowly and sadly, as though she knew the answer. ' I wasn't eavesdropping by the way. I was coming to check and make sure you two weren't trying to kill each other.' She said, grinning slightly.

'Well, I had fallen, and was half conscious when Uncle Vernon jerked by off the ground by the arm. It popped my shoulder out of place, and I had to push it back in.' He said sadly. Andromeda's eyes had tears in them, as the image entered her mind.

'I see. I shall have a talk with them, and see if you can return.' Harry eye widened.

'You want me to go back?' Dumbledore nodded. 'I'm sorry, Sir, but I'm not going back,' Harry said quiety. 'I can't go back there. I'll never go back there. I'll just run away if I have to, but I'm never going back.'

'I'm sorry also Harry, but you must go back. There are wards there are blood related, and you must be with your aunt for them to recharge and protect you from Voldemort.' Mrs. Tonks, over next to the door flinched at the mention of his name.

'Come now Mrs. Tonks. Not speaking the name only increase fear of the thing itself.' She nodded, but didn't do anything. Tonks walked in apparently looking for Harry.

'Come on Harry, let's go to the park!' His face broke into a grin and they both ran out without a moments notice.

xXxXxXxXxXx

A little while later, they came back, Harry sporting a scrape from Tonk's tackling him.

'Thanks a lot Tonks.' He said with a mock-glare. Tonks hadn't noticed this and had been apologizing for the last five minutes.

'I'm really sorry Harry! I didn't know you'd land that hard! I didn't mean to!' Harry finally lost it and started laughing. She looked at him with a confused look until she realized he'd been messing with her, and swatting him in the arm.

'That's not funny!' Harry was about to retort when they came to her house, where a voice was coming loud and clear.

'Mum's mad.' Was all Tonks said as they walked in and went upstairs.

'YOU'RE INSANE IF YOU'RE GOING TO TRY AND TELL THE BOY NOT TO GO TO HOGWARTS!'

'My dear lady, I'm only trying to watch out for his safety! I had to go against the wishes of his mother's will! _Harry had to go live with them!'_ They heard Dumbledore say with emphasis on the last sentence. 'I couldn't allow him to go any where else! Voldemort or one of the Death Eaters would have hunted him down and killed him! You must understand that if I hadn't done this, we would have no hope should Voldemort return!' Dumbledore said, his voice raising also.

'SO YOU SEND HIM THERE TO BE A HUMAN PUNCHING BAG! WHEN HE TELLS YOU WHAT'S HAPPENING, YOU SAY YOU'RE GOING TO _TALK TO THEM? THEY WON'T CARE! THOSE HORRID PEOPLE WILL KILL HIM FOR TELLING US WHAT GOES ON IN THAT DREADED HOUSE!' _Andromeda shrieked.

'I will do as I said and talk to them. Surely they can see reason and let the boy be.' He said simply, before disappearing with a crack. Andromeda walked out to find a young boy with a shocked expression, and her daughter worrying over him.

'I'm sorry you had to hear that you two.' She said, a bit out of breath. 'Don't worry Harry. We'll figure a way to keep you out of there.'

Harry nodded slowly and turned, walking towards the guest room. Tonks looked up at her mom, her facing asking the question, though she asked anyway.

'Should I go make sure he's ok?' She asked. Andromeda nodded, and Tonks hurried after him.

Tonks walked in the room to find Harry looking at something on his bed, his brow furrowed in a look of confusion. Harry looked up at her, then looked back down at the card in his hand.

'What is it, Harry?' He looked at her again and handed her the card.

_Your father left me this before he died. _

_Do a few good pranks with it for him._

_Make the Marauders proud._

_Do prank the Slytherin house please?_

_Padfoot and Moony_

'Padfoot and Moony? Who's that?' Tonks asked. Harry shook his head and picked up the thing on his bed. It seemed to be half liquid by the way it moved when he picked it up.

'How are we supposed to pull pranks with a cloak? Well, let's see how it looks anyway. Try it on!' She said, sounding half disappointed. Harry wrapped it around himself and all of him except his head disappeared. Tonks' eyes widened.

'I know what that is! It's an Invisibility Cloak! They're really rare!' She said in awe. 'You get all the cool stuff!' She added frowning. 'First, you're loaded, second, you get an invisibility cloak. Lucky little...' She muttered under her breath.

'Should we tell your mum?' Tonks grinned.

'Nah. Let's keep it a secret. Between you and me!' Harry grinned and nodded. They heard loud steps coming up the stairs and Harry quickly shoved the cloak under his bed. Andromeda poked her head in and announced that dinner was ready. They grinned to each other over the thought of an eating contest and ran downstairs.

xXxXxXxXxXx

The next thing Harry knew, he was being poked away by Mrs. Tonks.

'Harry! HARRY! Get up, you have to go today!' She said, then turned around and left, headed to take up the task of waking her daughter. Harry quickly pulled some clothes on, gave a failed attempt at fixing his hair, and walked out. He sat down at the table reaching for some toast, as a half asleep tonks plopped down in the chair next to him, today with her hair waist long and a normal purple color. She reached over to grab a box of cereal, missed, missed again, and finally got it.

'Cereal.' She muttered with a sleepy smile. She then promptly fell asleep using her bowl as a pillow. Harry burst out laughing, falling out of his chair in the process, while also waking Tonks up. She frowned and threw her spoon, successfully stopping Harry's laughter and turned it into a groan as it connected with is head. She poured some more cereal in her bowl and then realized she was missing a spoon. So, she stole Harry's, and continued to eat while Harry sighed and tipped his bowl. She stared at him as he practically drank his food. He then set it down, stood up, and carried it over to the sink, completely empty.

'That's just freaky, you know that right?' Tonks said stills staring.

'Trust me. After living with the Dursleys, you learn how to eat fast and without stuff.' He said, then turned and went up the stairs. Andromeda walked in at that moment, and saw her daughter's face.

'What's wrong? Fall asleep with your eyes open again?' She said, sniggering at the first time she did it. It was in the middle of a speech by Dumbledore. They had to use eye drops before she could blink.

'Not funny.' She muttered, staring at her mother out of the corner of her eye. 'Plus, that was just plain freaky. Harry turned his bowl up and drank the whole thing, cereal and all.' She said, still half asleep. Andromeda grinned.

'Puberty sets in earlier for wizards then it does muggles. Quite interesting isn't it?' She said, watching her daughter out of the corner of her eye.

'EEEWWW, Muuuuuuuuuuuum!' She said with a face of disgust. 'That's gross!' Andromeda laughed at the look of Nymphadora's face.

'Come on, you have to get ready, go.' She said, levitating her out of the kitchen. 'MUM!' She yelled from around the corner. About half an hour later, both Harry and Tonks were in the kitchen, with their trunks ready to go.

'Ok, it's a half hour to eleven.' She stopped to think for a second. 'Ok, driving will take at least that long, and there's no fire, we'll have to do side-along apparition.' She said finally, seeming to be talking to herself more than them. 'Ok Nymph, grab an my arm, Harry grab her arm.' She said commandingly. Harry did as he was told, and felt a strange tingling sensation. Andromeda seemed the be concentrating, as her forehead started to sweat a little. At that time, Harry suddenly felt as though he were being squeezed though a tube that was entirely too small. He felt as thought he couldn't breathe. As though the life was being squeezed out of him. Harry was just starting to panic when the sensation disappeared as fast as it came. He gasped for air as he looked around. They were suddenly staring at a large red train.

'Everybody check to make sure you have all your body parts.' Andromeda said. Harry thought she was joking until she started checking herself. 'You all there Harry?' He nodded.

'What was that?' He asked.

'Apparition. Going from one spot to another in an instant.' She explained. Harry nodded his head.

'I hate magical travel.' He muttered. Tonks laughed, and they pulled their trunks towards the train. Harry pushed his up into the rack while Tonks muttered trying to get hers up. Harry walked over and got a hand under it, and shoved it up for her.

'Thanks Harry.' She said grinning. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, then walked out to go tell her mum bye. Harry froze for a second, then walked out also. He saw Tonks and her mother in the middle of saying good bye, so he decided to just stand by the side and wait. Tonks finally nodded at something Andromeda said, and walked towards the train, passing him.

'Your turn.' Harry walked over to her.

'Thanks for letting me stay for that little while.' She nodded and pulled him into a hug.

'I'm gonna tell you the same thing I told Nymph. Stay out of trouble, Slytherin, and if my memory serves well, Severus Snape should be there with a job doing something. I suggest that you don't even breathe the wrong way around him.' She said grimacing. Harry nodded, thanked her again for the help. He started to turn, when he was caught in a hug from Mrs. Tonks.

'I'm serious Harry, stay out of trouble.' Harry nodded, then turned and walked into the train. Walking down through a cabin, and found Tonks. Knocking on the glass door, she looked up and opened it letting him in.

'Ready to go?' He asked grinning, realizing this would be the first time he actually got on a train. She nodded with unshed tears in her eyes.

'Aww don't get all mushy on my now Nymph!' Tonks swatted him on the arm.

'Shut up, I'm not getting mushy.' She said, her voice cracking. He stuck his head out the window and waved as the train started to move, then, just as they saw the corner coming, they stuck their heads back in. Just as the two sat down, a young red headed boy stuck his head in.

'Do you two mind? Everywhere else is full.' He said. They both nodded as he turned around and looked behind him. 'Now will you quit fussing at me? I found us a seat!' He said, sounding annoyed. Grumbling, he walked in and would've thrown his trunk onto the over head cage, had it not taken him, Tonks, and Harry to get it up. Another girl walked in, flicked her wand, and the trunk floated up, landing softly in the compartment.

'Nice. How'd you do that?' Harry asked.

'I've already read through our books, and learned a few spells on my own.' She looked at him and gasped. 'You're Harry Potter!'

'I was last time I checked.' He couldn't help but grin at his own joke. He looked over at the brown haired girl. He had about two inches on her, and noticed one distinct thing about her. The hair. Busiest hair Harry could say he ever saw, not that that was saying much, due to the fact that the Dursleys kept him hidden.

'I'm Ron Weasley.' He said, holding out his hand. Harry shook it.

'Nymphadora Tonks. Call me by my first name and see what happens.' She said grimacing.

'I'm Hermione Granger.' Harry and Tonks nodded towards her in greeting and watched as Tonks moved over and set next to him, and Hermione and Ron sat next to each other. About 15 minutes later a plump boy walked by looking for a toad. They all said they hadn't seen it, and he ran off yelling Trevor!. A few minutes later, two twins walked by, asking if they had seen a toad. Everyone answered no again, but they found out their names were Parvati and Padma Patil. They laughed, and joked, got bored with that and each became lost in their own thoughts until a lady walked by their compartment.

'Anything off the trolley, dears?' She said smiling. Ron held up a sandwich, looking offended by the food.

'No thanks. I'm all set.'

'We'll take it. All of it.' He said grinning. She listed off a price, and he just gave her a handful of galleons asking if it was enough. She nodded, seeming to be in a bit of shock, and he told her to keep the change, each of the four of them walked back in with an armful of food. They were just starting to dare each other to eat different Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, when the vampire boy, as Harry had dubbed him, showed up.

'Rumor has it that Harry Potter's in this compartment. Oh is that you? I thought you'd be in a better crowd then a bunch of blood traitors.' He said, his annoying voice pulling all of his nerves.

'Oh and this is Crabbe and Goyle. And I"m Draco Malfoy. You will learn that some wizarding families are better then others. _I _can help you there.' He said holding out a hand. Harry slapped it away, ignoring the goons next to him cracking their knuckles.

'You just up and insult my friends, then want me to come join you and be best buds huh?' Harry said losing his temper quickly. 'First the crazy old bat wants to control my life, then you want to come in and disrupt what was a great day. Had gone a whole week without having to pop a joint back into place or resetting a bone, and here you come. Go to hell. Get out! NOW!' Harry growled the last two sentences, his temper long gone.

'Watch what you say because you might just end up like your parents.' That would be the last thing he would remember saying. The last thing he would see before a screen of black would be Harry drawing back fist, and a crunch from his nose. First thing that will take us away from out story is what is happening between Draco's nose and Harry's fist as they connect.

Harry's fist: 'Well, it seems that I'm going to have to hurt you!'

Draco's nose: 'LEAVE MY BRAIN ALONE!'

'I wasn't going to hurt your brain, just you. Now, kindly, what is you're name?'

'I'm Draco's nose, the only part that isn't drenched in wanting to be in Slytherin and join the Dark Load.'

'Ah. Nice to meetcha! I'm Harry's fist, the only part that wants to become evil, and thus, take over the world, but I don't get a say in the matter sadly.' They would have gone on, had there not been an instance of Harry's fist slamming into Draco's nose.

As his two goons were dragging the boy back to a compartment, with a bleeding nose, we will have a second trip away from our story, although, this time it's shorter. Draco had a dream of his father, skipping through a field of flowers wearing a pink dress, pickling the flowers as he went along. St. Mungo's would blame a minor concussion from the straight on nose injury.

But that's not important at the moment. Back to the compartment on the train, they all laughed, except Hermione, who said that they could've gotten in a lot of trouble. The boy who was looking for the toad, Ron and Harry found out that he was named Neville Longbottom, came by, and was thrown out along with the other two boys as the girls decided they needed to change into their robes.

Harry was bodily thrown in by Tonks and the other boys followed as Hermione said they needed to change into their robes that instant. They opened the compartment door and let the girls back in after they had all changed. Tonks and Harry started poking each other in the head as a fight over her throwing him in.

'How'd you do that anyway Tonks?' Neville asked.

'Mum made me take a fighting class one time, in case I was ever attacked without a wand.' She said. ' Also learned what a pressure point was.' Tonks grinned at the memory. 'One I used on that pig boy at the park. Who was that anyway, Harry?'

'My cousin.' Tonks scowled.

'Should have hit him harder then.'

'So, what is a pressure point anyway?'

'I'll show you.' She put her middle and index finger together and poked Harry at a downwards angle, using the top of his collarbone as a guide to keep her fingers from missing the point. Harry started coughing as she started laughing.

'That never gets old.' She said, wiping a tear out of her eye. A few minutes later of idle conversation, the train started to slow down. Once they stopped, a voice came from somewhere telling them to leave their belongings where they were, and to exit without injuring each other. Now, Harry started to get nervous. He didn't know why really. Maybe it was that he had been friendless at all of his schools thanks to Dudley. Everyone in their compartment threw some junk food into their trunks, before getting into the crowd of students working their way out. Harry kept close behind Tonks who kept stopping without warning trying to 'Keep you on your toes.' as she put it.

Everyone 'oohed' and 'ahh'ed' as the first years took a trip to Hogwarts by boat, and saw the large castle. They walked in and were told to wait in front of large oak doors, that which nobody really knew what they led to. Although, they were smaller then the ones that lead to the castle itself. A strict-looking woman walked up, and addressed them all, talking about the four different houses, and something about points. At this point, Harry hardly cared.

'Buck up, Harry. Mum said there was some sort of thing they have you do to get sorted. Supposed to be easy.' Tonks said, punching him lightly in the arm. Harry gave a half-hearted grin, and was going to respond, but they were all led in to a stool bearing an old beat up hat. It suddenly came to life and sang a song, which scared Harry half to death. Tonks must have noticed because she leaned over and whispered, 'Need a change of pants?'

'I'm used to hats not talking or singing.' He muttered back. The hat finished it's song, and everyone started clapping. People then went and put on the hat, and it called out a house name. Some people, the hat was barely on their head before it called out a name. Others took for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, Professor McGonagall called Hermione Granger, who was sorted into Gryffindor. The table cheered as she walked over and sat down. After a few more names, she called Neville Longbottom, who was declared to be a Gryffindor.

She then called Padma Patil who was sorted into Ravenclaw, followed by her sister.

Finally, she called his name. Harry heard mutters go all around the Great Hall, and people stretched their necks to get a look at him. Feeling himself turn red, he put on the hat. A small voice in his ear started talking.

'Difficult, _very _difficult. It would almost seem best to put you in Slytherin. There's not doubt that you wouldn't excel there.' Harry felt a rising panic. Him in Slytherin? No no no! Not an option!

'Please, no don't put me there. Anywhere, just not there. I'll kill Malfoy, and don't exactly want to be expelled.' Harry thought. The hat let out a laugh and made the mental equivalent of a sigh.

'Fine. I guess the best place would be GRYFFINDOR!' The hat suddenly yelled. Two twins that looked a lot like Ron, with their flaming red hair, started yelling, "WE GOT POTTER! WE GOT POTTER!' In an almost mocking voice. After a couple more names, Tonks was up. After what seemed like an eternity, if hollered, 'GRYFFINDOR!" Harry cheered as Tonks sat down next to him, and Ron Weasley was sent up, which only after about three seconds was also declared a Gryffindor. Harry was glad that some people he knew would be in his house, but a twang of guilt came as he realized two people he had met would not be around for him to get to know.

Dumbledore stood up and said a few words about a corridor and a forest. Tonks laughed at this later, commenting that Harry was scowling the entire time. Suddenly, food appeared in front of them, and to say it was a generous amount of food would be an understatement. Ron and Harry started an eating contest a few minutes into the meal, nearly making themselves sick.

That was followed by a desert, which also became an eating contest that Ron, Harry, and Tonks competed in. Ron won both times.

'You know, today's been a good day. Got away from my relatives, and the crazy old bat...sort of. Get punch the worlds biggest idiot in the face, eat until I was almost sick. I think they drugged this food.' Harry added as an after thought, feeling his eye lids get heavy. Everyone else in the Great Hall seemed to be going along this lines of action also, as they were led out by the Head Boy and Girl. They were told a password to use to get in and out of the common room to their dormitories. Harry and Tonks separated, going up different stair cases to get to their dormitories. The next day was a Saturday, which Harry and Tonks had decided on the way to Hogwarts, they were going to use to explore the castle.

xXxXxXxXxXx

The next day, Harry decided to go up and give Tonks a surprise visit and scare the crap out of her for revenge in poking him in the throat. In their travels last night, after finding a few secret passages, and a wall that wouldn't become a door unless you told it a joke, Harry had forgotten to get revenge. He snuck up the to the first year girls dormitories and was about to knock when he came face to face with Tonks.

'How did you get there?' She asked, her face one of shock.

'Walked. Why?'

'Guys can't get up here. So unless you're not a guy, in which I would be very afraid, then you shouldn't be up here.' Harry sighed and shook his head.

'Something else to add to my abnormalities. Come on, they're supposed to have a great breakfast.' He said, motioning for them to go downstairs.

After eating, they left to go look around the grounds. Then, they went back in to explore the castle.

'Harry that door wasn't there a minute ago was it?' Harry shook his head. They had been exploring the ninth floor and had gotten lost. Walking in circle, Harry realized he had gone by this spot three times. Harry reached out and opened it, to see a large black screen. After looking at it for a second, he closed the door, and they found the exit after going in circles for a few more minutes. They then found the library after going up a floor.

'HARRY! Look I found the library!' Tonks said loudly. The librarian magicked a book to chase them out of the library, whacking them on the head.

'Ok, don't anger the librarian. Bad idea.' Harry muttered glaring at Tonks. The book had chased them until they had left the floor and only then did it float back to the library. They then went exploring downwards, finding themselves in the dungeons. After getting creeped out, Harry and Tonks went back to normal surroundings.

'This castle is a mad house!' Harry muttered as they went back onto the grounds. After a little while, they went back to the castle, hoping to find lunch, which they did without getting attacked by books. The two twins that Harry thought were related to Ron showed up behind Harry.

'Hi Harry.' Said one. 'I'm Fred.'

'I'm George.' Said the other.

'We're that guy's,' Fred pointed to Ron. 'Brother.'

'And if asked, we were here the whole time, before we went off to study.' George said, running off, as a loud explosion came from somewhere in the castle. A few minutes later, a frustrated looking Professor McGonagall walked by handing out schedules.

'On Monday, we've got Charms, Transfiguration, History of Magic, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and double potions. Actually, we have that all week, except the times change. Oh wait, there's a double charms. And a double Transfiguration. Mum said DADA was the best class, so we don't get a double hour of those.' Tonks muttered in an annoyed voice. Harry noticed today that her hair was a short spiky blue color, and her eyes matched it. After eating eating, they went to the common room and found Ron, deciding to do a test.

'Hey Ron!'

'What?'

'We need you to do a little test for us.' Tonks said grinning. She pulled a protesting Ron towards the girls stairs. 'Go up it.' She said, giving him a little shove. Ron grunted and started to walk up. About the fourth step, they turned into a slide, making him go sliding down.

'Well isn't that interesting?' Harry nodded in agreement.

'What? That the stairs do this? Everyone knows that guys can't go up them.'

'Well Harry can. Watch. Harry go up the stairs.' She said, as the slide turned back into stairs. Harry walked up without trouble.

'Maybe he's not a guy.' Ron stated bluntly.

'Only one way to find out.' Tonks said grinning. 'Payback for laughing at me falling asleep in my cereal yesterday.' Tonks said walking up the stairs. Ron winced and walked off, knowing what was going to happen. After a loud scream, and Tonks yelling, "DEFINATLY A GUY!' Did he know that it was safe to go back.

AN: I realized that this chapter went a little overboard in length. I started writing, and didn't stop. But if you people want more chapters this long, say so in a review or something.

To: Rock On. Rock Out., DLC, Rainbow Phoenix, Bandgsecurtiyaw, Random6234, and Musings-of-Apathy . Thanks a lot for reviewing. Really does mean a lot.

To: gregthezombie, I'm not going to copy his story. I have the main idea for the next two chapters planned out, I just have to fix them up a bit. Or a lot. When I first started working on the plot, I wanted to start the fic at the end of his fourth year. But the problem was, I'd be a lot of work to fill in loose bits of information like Tonks living next to Harry and all the stuff that happened. Plus, I've been wanting to write a redo-of-canon story anyway. But I wanted to start working from the fourth book's end. That's the part people should be looking forward to. I'll have Sorcerer's Stone done by chapter five. Actually, that's when it'll be done, then I'll have COS in this one. I"m starting a sequel that will go through three and four, then five and six, and seven will be one on it's own. Or maybe I"ll redo the next few chapters and make it longer. I don't know.


	3. Racecar is spelled the same backwards

_Note: I wasn't going to release this chapter until Saturday, but due to the amount of reviews I got in such a short amount of time, I've decided to release it earlier, plus I"m sick, and bored to death because my mom's making me lay down. ALL DAY LONG!_

_How to Save a Life_

_Racecar is the Same Word Backwards_

On Monday, Harry was still glaring at Tonks everywhere they went, while she kept up a perfectly cheerful attitude. Only after giving him a hug and apologizing did he stop glaring. After breakfast in the Great Hall, the little team of first years, made up of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Tonks, made their way to charms.

'Think it's gonna be hard?'

'Can't be. This is our first class.'

Harry found magic to be exciting in a way. To be able to feel the force and have control of it made Harry feel like he had a bit of power for once in his life. After practicing levitating charms for an hour and learning a little spell that would make your wand act as an alarm clock, they made their way to transfiguration, where they started to try and turn matches into needles.

Harry realized, after getting a box of matches as homework, that magic was harder then waving a wand and saying strange words, even though you did do that. McGonagall had explained about where words for spells came from (Latin I think), and where the power for the magic comes from (No clue.). Everyone in History of Magic was asleep except Hermione. Ron decided that nap time and History of Magic had no difference. After lunch, they went to DADA, a class Harry was really looking forward to, but found it boring as all the man did was talk about the theory of the Stupefy spell.

As they made their way to the dungeons, they discussed what potions would be like. Harry later called it a small part of hell. The second the door slammed shut, all fell silent.

'The will be no foolish wand waving or incantations in this class. The branch of magic which is potions is an exact art, that many of you will fail. I can teach you to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper on death.' He paused looking around. 'Then again, some of you come here confident enough to _not pay attention._' Snape said, looking at Harry. Tonks nudged him in the side, stopping him from writing what was being said.

'Mr. Potter. Our. New. Celebrity.' He ground out each word. The man then fired out three questions which Harry had no answer for. Snape explained them like the were the simplest answers in the world. 'Well? Why aren't you writing this down?' He snapped to everyone in the room. There was a quick shuffle of bags pulling out parchment and then the scratching of quills as everyone wrote it down. They were making a simple potion to cure boils, and in the span of that class, Gryffindor had lost 35 points. Harry had lost ten because Neville messed his potion up, and Tonks lost 25 for getting caught flipping Snape off. Everyone finished their potion, except Neville, who had just gotten back from the Hospital Wing.

Just as they were about to start a new potion, Professor McGonagall's voice came from somewhere.

'Could all first year Gryffindor and Slytherin please go to the Hogwarts Grounds for your flying lesson.' Harry nearly ran out of the class room. Once they got outside, and Ron hit in the face with his broom, Neville Longbottom had kicked off too soon, lost control, and sprained his wrist.

'If I see anyone off the ground, you'll be out of here faster then you can say Quidditch.' She muttered, but everyone heard loud and clear. Malfoy had picked up some strange glass ball.

'Give it here Malfoy.' Harry said. Malfoy grinned.

'You want it? Come and get it. Hope you understand, payback for touching me.' Malfoy, about twenty feet from the ground, chunked it. Harry sped off, try to catch it, and only then did he notice the brick wall coming at him. Tonks might have yelled something, but he couldn't remember. The only thing on this planet, in his mind at that moment, was him and that little glass ball, which he realized was about to hit the wall. Harry put one last burst of speed, and stuck out his hand, and it landed quietly into it. Then, there was the problem with the wall, that was coming up pretty fast. Harry pulled back hard on his broom, and slowly came to a stop, rolling sideways to put his feet against the wall, but he never touched it. Rolling upright again, Harry pointed the broom down, and landed just as McGonagall walked up.

'MR POTTER!' Harry's head hung slightly as he handed the glass ball off to Tonks, and followed the strict woman. She stopped at the DADA door, and asked Professor Quirrell if she could borrow wood.

_'Maybe it's a cane they're going to beat me with?' _Harry wondered, but it turned out, Wood was a young man, who walked around Harry talking about something having to do with Quidditch. He asked if Harry had ever played before, Harry said no, and Wood asked if Harry wanted to be on the team, as they desperately needed someone to fill the job of Seeker, what ever that was. Harry nodded, realizing that he was going to play a sport, and, after they were done, he got Tonks to explain to him what Quidditch was.

Later in the week, since Gryffindor's got Friday afternoons off, Oliver Wood took Harry out to the Quidditch pitch, using the new broom McGonagall had ordered for him, which he thanked her until she finally told him to go away, realized that he wasn't going to be too bad at it. Except maybe three of the golf balls, Harry caught everything thrown at him. After sitting on the couch in the Common Room, Harry realized that it was also a very painful game. Harry fell back on the couch, sitting next to Tonks. They worked on their homework, until Harry finally dozed off.

Harry awoke the next morning to find himself in the common room, but that wasn't as embarrassing as who he found laying on his shoulder asleep.

'Tonks. Hey, Tonks.' He whispered, as he felt himself turn red. 'Nymphadora!' He said, shaking her a little. She muttered something incoherent, but didn't budge. Remembering what she did to him on the train ride, Harry took his fingers, and pushed them into her throat. Tonks leaped up off the couch, coughing and glaring at Harry.

"I'm gonna kill you!'

Harry ran down the corridors, Tonks right on his tail trying to get him. Harry heard Snape talking, and came to a silent stop, about a foot from the corner and caught Tonks by the stomach with his arm to keep her from going around the corner.

'So, I believe it's best that you decide where you're loyalties lay.' He muttered menacingly.

'D-D-Dunno w-w-what you're t-t-talking about-'

'Don't give me that. I know you're after the Philosopher's Stone. What do you think I am stupid? Why else would you be in the third floor corridor?' He muttered, sounding meaner by the second.

'T-t-though I heard a s-s-student.'

'All students know that it's out of bounds. Nobody would be that stupid. Also, there's nobody missing. That devil of a dog would make sure that anyone that doesn't have a musical instrument can't get to it.' He muttered. 'Now, we'll continue our little chat sometime later.' Harry, who after meeting Filch, the squib janitor, kept his invisibility cloak on him at all times. He ripped it out of his pocket and threw it over himself and Tonks. He felt himself flush at the closeness, and noticed Tonks did also, but ignored it.

As the two professors passed, they held their breath, and waited for them to turn the corner, and pulled the cloak off. Tonks, being a metamorphmagus, made he blush fade immediately. Harry, however, wasn't that lucky.

'Aww. Widdle Hawwy's bwushing.' She said laughing and poking him the the cheek. 'Does widdle Hawwy like Tawnks?' She said, still laughing at and poking him. She stopped poking when he tried to bite her. She kissed his cheek and started to walk off, but noticed him turn a darker red.

'Ha ha! You turned redder.' She said grinning. 'Can't take a little female attention?' Harry muttered something uninterpretable, and she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the common room.

xXxXxXxXx

Harry barely touched his food that morning same morning.. The other three Gryffindor's looked at him, worry on their faces.

'Come on, Harry, you have to eat something.' Hermione said. Harry shook his head.

'You eat something, knowing that you will be fifty feet in the air, with large black balls trying to take your head off with the entire school watching. I'll probably mess up.'

'You won't mess up. Not possible.' Hermione said grinning. 'It's in your blood.' The other three stared at her like she had sprouted another head.

'Honestly. In the trophy room, there's a plaque, and you dad's name was on there as Seeker. So, you can't make a fool of yourself.' Harry visibly brightened.

'My dad was a Seeker?' He said grinning. Hermione nodded, as Malfoy walked by.

'Eating your last meal Potter?'

'No, you see, you must be confused, Malfoy. The last mean is Dinner. This, this is breakfast. How sad, you never learned the correct order of meals.' Harry said, tutting, and talking as though Malfoy were three.

'Watch what you say Potter. You might not live long if you keep it up.' He growled walking off.

'Doesn't take an insult well does he?' Harry said. Next thing he knew, Harry was mounting his broom, getting ready to play his first game. At this point, he was glad he hadn't eaten much breakfast. However, all of Harry's stresses went away as he kicked off of the ground. Keeping an eye out for the Snitch, Harry watched the game unfold. Slytherin took an immediate lead, after bumping one of the Chasers, Katie Bell, and grabbed the Quaffle.

As they went back and forth, Slytherins doing anything needed get points, Harry circled the pitch keeping a watchful eye. Suddenly, there was a flash of gold, Harry went into a sharp dive, basking happily in the adrenaline that rushed him as he shot downwards. The other Seeker had yet to notice, lucky for Harry because as soon as Harry reached around ten yards from the small ball, his broom started bucking wildly.

'What's going on?' Ron said, watching from the stands.

'Looks like Potter's gonna die. How fun!' Malfoy said gleefully from behind them.

'Shut up ferret.' Ron said, watching intently as Harry's broom started bucking harder. The entire crowed gasped as he fell off, and was holding on with only his hands.

'So, weasel, is it true that your family all have to sleep in the same bed because they can't afford their kids?' At this, Ron snapped, and tackled Malfoy to the ground. Neville, who was sitting next to them, tackled Malfoy also, following Ron's lead.

Hermione lifted up her binoculars and seemed to be searching the stands for a dime on the ground.

'Hermione! You don't need a better view of watching Harry nearly fall off his broom!'

'I know that! 's not what I"m looking for!' She started looking more franticly. She suddenly stopped and gasped.

'Snape's jinxing the broom!'

'Jinxing the broom?'

'Yes!'

'Well, what do we do?'

'I have no idea.' She said bluntly. Tonks sighed and shook her head, then ran to catch up with her as she suddenly sped off. She followed her down their sections of stands, and up another, where they stopped because Hermione was counting feet.

'Hermione! This isn't a time to count feet!' Tonks whispered. Hermione suddenly jerked her wand up, and pointed it at the hem of some robes. She muttered something that Tonks couldn't understand, but it didn't matter, as they suddenly caught fire. Going back down, they heard a 'thump', which Tonks identified as Quirrell. When they got back, Harry had turned his broom into a vertical dive.

'Someone jinxed his broom.' Tonks said to Ron and Neville.

'What're you doing, Harry?' Tonks worried out loud. Harry pulled the Nimbus two thousand upright while it was still going an at incredible speed, and stood up.

'HARRY WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?' Tonks yelled, but nobody heard as the roar of the crowd went on. Then she noticed that he was closing in on the Snitch, the other Seeker right next to him. Just as the Slytherin Seeker's was about to close, Harry jumped off of the broom, and pushed his hand out of the way. After rolling a few feet, Harry finally stood up, and doubled over.

'Looks like he's gonna be sick.' Harry stood upright and looked at Professor McGonagall.

'Is it bad if you swallow the Snitch?' Harry asked, his face contorted. His answer came from the crowd roared, except the Slytherin's who booed. Madam Pomfrey quickly ran and and whisked him away, most likely towards the hospital wing. Hermione stood up and turned around.

'Hey you two! We won!' Hermione said excitedly, pulling up Ron, who had a bloody lip, and Neville a bloody nose.

'Great. Now can I get to the hospital wing, I think I'm missing a tooth.' Tonks laughed and they all ran to catch up with Harry.

xXxXxXxXx

'Ugh, do you know how awful it is to have someone pull a flapping gold ball up your esophagus?' Harry said groaning as they left the Hospital Wing.

'Nope, and if I'm lucky, I won't have to.' Tonks said grinning. The other three had already left, but Tonks had stayed behind, waiting for Harry.

'So, why on earth would you ask what the hell I was doing?' Harry said in mock confusion. Tonks blushed deeply.

'Well, I thought your tiny brain had shook loose.' She said, trying and failing to control her blush, which got deeper as he grinned at her.

'You're blushing.'

'Are not! It's just hot in this castle.'

'But what else would I be doing?' Then he grinned mischievously. 'Aww, was widdle Tawnks afwaid her widdle Hawwy would get hurwt?' He grabbed her cheek and shook it. 'How cuuuuuuuuuuute!'

'Sh-Shut up!' She said, hoping against hope she wouldn't get any more flushed then she was.

'Ah well, who can blame you.' He said arrogantly. 'After all, who wouldn't like me?' Tonks punched him in the arm. He suddenly turned and pecked her on the cheek. He laughed as her fading blush returned with reinforcements.

'What's wrong Nymph? Can't take a little male attention?' Then turned and walked off laughing. As soon as he rounded the corner however, he stepped into a broom closet, feeling himself flush. That didn't go as planned. Like the part where he had to push himself away to keep from kissing her on the lips instead of the cheek.

xXxXxXxXx

After telling Ron and Hermione what they heard from Snape and Quirrell's conversation, which they had forgotten due to the match, and after Tonks stopped picking at him over what had happened, which they left out when telling the story, Hermione had them all go to the library to research the Philosopher's Stone. It was nearly Christmas before Hermione finally said something to end their pain.

'Found it!' Hermione exclaimed, as they all went through books. She turned it so that the other three could see.

_'The Philosopher's Stone, which was last recorded to be made by Nicolais Flamel, is a major catalyst in Alchemy, and produces the Elixir of Life, which allows the drinker to become immortal. In order for this stone to be made, thousands of lives must be sacrificed. Sadly, the more humans, the more powerful and long lasting the stone is. Mr. Flamel last celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday, and lives the quiet life with his wife, Perenelle, who is six hundred and fifty-eight.'_

'So, Snape or Quirrell are after the stone, and want to live for forever. I guess that also means that Dumbledore is hiding it here. Probably in the third floor corridor.' Hermione muttered.

'Could you imagine it? Snape for an eternity? That would be horrid! Though, the perfect device of torture.' Ron said scowling.

'Oh well. As long as they don't get it, we have nothing to worry about.' Harry nodded vigorously agreeing with Ron.

xXxXxXxXx

As Christmas rolled around, and owls carrying wrapped packages came by more and more each day. Ron and Hermione frowned as an owl dropped a letter in front of them both, the soared off. Ron scowled as he read the letter.

'My parents are making me go home to be, "With my family."'

'My parents just want me home for the holidays.' Hermione said, looking at her paper.

Harry grinned when a few owls brought him a few packages wrapped in brown paper.

'I'll be back.' He said, abandoning his breakfast. One dropped in front of Tonks and she got up and followed. They met in the common room, Tonks going up the stairs, Harry going down. Harry then turned and followed her, surprised as he was still able to go up the stairs to the girls dormitories.

'Hey is that for me!' Harry said, walking in and grabbing the present, thoroughly enjoying the fact that it was going to make her mad.

'No! Gimme it!' She said making a grab for it, but his reflexes got him out of the way.

'Of course you want to get a present for me. Everyone does. After all, I _am _the Boy-Who-Lived.' He said, his voice dripping in arrogance. She punched him in the arm, like the last time he did it.

'Ow that hurt. You know a lot of the female population at our school would hunt you down if they saw you hurt me.' Tonks turned into an exact replica of him.

'Not if they couldn't find me.' She said grinning. Harry then thought of something.

'Hey Tonks, what do you really look like?' He asked, as she turned back into how she was previously.

'You don't want to know. It's boring really.' She said.

'Yeah I do. Come on, let me see.' Tonks sighed and her features started to change. She shrunk about three inches, and the pink hair turned black and went to about waist length. Tonks' face lost it's heart-like shape, and went to a normal shaped one.

'There? Happy?' Harry roared with laughter. Tears suddenly appeared in her eyes, and when he noticed he stopped.

'Sorry Tonks. I just realized though. You're a lot shorter then me!' He started laughing again. She wiped the unshed tears away, and kicked his shin.

'That's not funny!' She yelled, turning into how she was before, then making her hair a bright blue, and made it grow to be waist length.

'Tonks?' Hermione's voice came from other side of the door as it started to open. Harry panicked and pulled the invisibility cloak out, wrapped it around himself, and was just pulling on the hood when the door opened and Hermione gasped.

'HAR-' She was cut off by Tonks' hand going over her mouth and pulling her in, closing the door. Harry sighed and pulled the cloak off.

'Blew my cover didn't I?' Harry said, stuffing it back in his pocket. Tonks slowly pulled her hand off of Hermione's mouth.

'Harry! How did you get up here! Boys aren't allowed! They can't even get up the stairs.' She ground out, clearly angered. Then she rounded on Tonks.

'And you! You let him up here! What were you two doing? Wait, I don't want to know. Harry...just...out! Get out!' She said pointing at the door.

'Wait Hermione listen. I don't know how-' She cut him off.

'I don't care! Get!'

'Hermione wait, this was completely innocent.' Tonks said, but still sounded ashamed. What if it had been Dumbledore or McGonagall?

'Ok, you two had a room completely to yourselves, and it's only innocent? What'd you do? Talk?' She said, and sighed as they nodded.

'Just...What ever, I'm still telling McGonagall.' She said, turning towards the door.

'Woah! Wait a sec Hermione. What're you going to say? Harry and Tonks were in the girls dormitories talking and being innocent of doing anything? Oh, and by the way, Harry can get up to the girls dorms, but we don't know how, so even though we don't know how to stop him, we should still get him in trouble because he was talking to a friend!' Harry said starting to lose his temper. Hermione froze as she realized this. 'What do you care if it _wasn't _innocent anyway? None of your business!'

'No. I don't know what I was going to do. Just...Harry !' She pulled her wand out to prove her point. 'Stay away from our dorms! Guys still aren't allowed.'

'I don't care. We didn't do anything wrong. Plus, luckily, you can't stop me! Hell, I don't even how to I do it in the first place!' Harry said, pulling out his own wand, knowing there was nothing he could really do against her, but wanted to be ready just incase. Hermione finally made an annoyed noise and stalked out of the room.

'That girl. I swear.' Tonks continued to mutter darkly as Harry gave her the package back. Harry saw a book out of the corner of his eye on her trunk and walked over and picked it up. The title was, '_How to become an Auror: Shields'_

'Tonks, what's this?' He said, holding up the book.

'Oh, it's part of a series of books my mum got me for my birthday. There's one for offense. Look through it if you want, I don't care. Never really got around to reading it, actually.' She added the last part as an afterthought. Harry skimmed through it, then stopped, seeing a spell. '_Protego.' _It then said how to use the spell, and variations of it, but they were all over his head. He stood up, and set the book down.

'Tonks, fire a curse or something at me.' He said pulling out his wand. She gave him a funny look. 'Come on, I wanna try something. Hit me.' Tonks sighed and pulled out her wand.

'_Stupify!' _She cried, the red streak of light speeding for him.

'_Protego!' _He said, making a sweeping motion of his wand. A yellowish orb surrounded Harry as the spell came to impact with it, and bounced back. At that moment, Hermione and McGonagall walked in, just as Harry dropped the shield. What they saw was a surprised Tonks, getting hit with a Stunner, and Harry's wand pointed at her.

'MR. POTTER! WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING!' She yelled, forgetting that there was a boy in the girls dorms. He looked up at her, then walked over and muttered the counter curse, and Tonks stood back up.

'Trying a spell.' He said simply.

'I don't know where you got the idea that stunning unsuspecting people was ok. But rest assured, it will not happen again! Follow me! You get to tell the Headmaster exactly _why_ it is you feel the need to stun innocent victims for no reason!' She said grabbing Harry by his upper arm and started dragging the protesting Harry towards the door.

'Professor wait! He didn't attack me. I would've killed him if he did.' Tonks said, getting up from her sitting position and dusting herself off. 'Technically, I attacked him. But he asked me to.' The professor let go of Harry and looked at him expectingly.

'I found a defensive spell and wanted to try it. It was supposed to absorb the spell not deflect it.' He explained.

'Yes yes, fine, now Mr. Potter, please, get out of the girls dorms, I have to have a talk with a certain someone.' She said, eying Hermione. Harry nodded, hoping she got detention for life, and started to walk off. It was only then that she realized what she said. "Mr. Potter! How on earth did you get up here? Surely you didn't use your broom? Last person that tried that nearly lost their scalp!' She eyed the room for his Nimbus.

'Uhm, no, professor, I...er...I walked.' He said glaring at Hermione for making him go through this.

'What do you mean you walked?' She said, looking at him as though he had grown a second, third, and fourth head and possibly an eleventh toe.

'I mean I took each step, following Tonks.' He pretended to walk up a flight of stairs. McGonagall sighed and looked at him. 'Please follow me Mr. Potter. You're not in trouble, we just need to talk to Dumbledore as to why you're the only boy who can get in the girl's dorms. I have to say that Hogwarts has never seen this.' Harry resisted the urge to maul Hermione as he followed McGonagall to Dumbledore's office.

AN: How does Harry do it? I have no clue! Your guess is as good as mine for now. Oh, by the way, don't own The Fray, or their AWESOMERNESS CD, which is awesome (have been playing it for almost two weeks straight.) Also, there might be a slight delay in updates. My mom won't leave me alone, and has decided to ground me for doing...well...I don't know really why she grounded me, but she decided that I could only spend an hour on the computer a day. So, if Harry suddenly decides that he hates the world and kills everyone, you can just ignore that. Sorry that this chapter ended without being too long. It was only eight pages, (well, nine due from the word 'being' in this sentence and down.) and I wanted to end it with a cliffie, plus I needed to figure out how Harry was doing it. Cya!


	4. UhOh

_How to Save a Life_

_Uh-oh_

'Acid Pop!' Professor McGonagall said, and the stone gargoyle sprang to life, as a spiral staircase started moving up like an escalator. He followed McGonagall's lead, and stepped on it, going up. Her knuckles were rapped smartly on the door, and Harry heard Dumbledore quietly tell them to enter. She pushed the door open and motioned for Harry to walk in in front of her. He did so and sat down in a chair.

'Professor, we have a problem!' She exclaimed as he was sitting.

'And what would that problem be?' He asked quietly.

'Mr. Potter can simply walk up the stairs into the girls dorms! I watched him go down and you know as well as I that a boy, at any point on the stairs to the girl's dorms, are removed! This shouldn't be allowed, but I know nothing of how to keep it from happening.' She said, sighing in defeat.

'I see. Have you ever tried going up the stairs without your wand, Harry?' He shook his head no.

'Yes. I would try it some time.' He sighed and stood up. 'When you first received your wand, what happened?' He said, walking around his desk and standing in front of it.

'I don't really know sir. It was almost like a large pulse of some sort.' He said slowly remembering the moment. Dumbledore nodded.

'It would seem that that pulse somehow gave you a way to disengage certain wards and spells. However, I will not know for sure until...' He trailed off, and suddenly flicked his wand towards the ground, and a flight of stairs showed up. He waved his wand again, and the stairs turned pink, before fading, leaving the stone stairs exactly the same.

'There now. Leave your wand somewhere, and try to walk up the steps.' Harry tried, and at about the fourth step, found himself on his face. Dumbledore chuckled watching him get up. He waved his wand again and the stairs were gone.

'It will only work for the one holding your wand, it seems. Therefore, I need to see your wand, Mr. Potter.' He said holding out his hand. Harry picked it up off of the chair and handed it to him. He sat the wand on his desk, and waving his own wand over it, muttered something in a language that Harry couldn't understand. He then motioned for Harry to come over to the desk. Harry stood up and walked over to it.

'I have just set a spell on your wand that will only allow you to pick it up. Anyone else who tries, will receive a nasty shock. Oh, I almost forgot. Forgive me.' He said, then reached over and plucked a hair out of Harry's head. Harry yelped, and watched, glaring at the headmaster, as he set the hair on the wand, it suddenly glowed a brilliant blue color.

'There. _Now _it is set so that only you can touch it.' Harry nodded and picked it back up.

'But Dumbledore!' McGonagall suddenly said, making Harry jump. He had forgotten the teacher was there. 'How are we to stop him from getting into the girl's dorms?'

'We can't, therefore, we don't. All I can say is to stay out of trouble, and if anyone complains of anything inappropriate that includes you and the girls dorms, you will face suspension, and possibly expulsion.' He said, his voice suddenly becoming serious. Harry nodded.

'Very well. You may leave.' Harry got up and stalked out of the room, with full intent of yelling at Hermione. As soon as he got to the common room, he stalked up to the first year's girl's dorms and knocked.

'Hermione!' He called through the door. A voice who wasn't Hermione's or Tonks' called through the door.

'She's in here!'

'Is everyone proper?'

'Yeah. Why?' Harry sighed and shook his head. Surely his voice was deep enough to be able to tell if it belonged to a girl or a guy. He pushed the door open and stuck his head in, and seeing that everyone was, infact, proper, came the rest of the way in. Hermione seemed to have a triumphant air to her, as she watched him, she could tell that he was mad. That meant that he had gotten in trouble.

'Why did you get McGonagall?'

'Because you aren't supposed to be up here!'

'Yeah, I got that the first time. Now, answer my question. You could tell it was innocent. We even said it was innocent!'

'You were about to hide from view! You had to by lying or else you wouldn't have been trying to hide!'

'I was hiding because I knew you would blow it out of proportion and instantly assume it wasn't innocent at all and we were having some sort of snogging session or something!' He said, noticing her smugness. 'Why're you so smug over it anyway?'

'Because obviously you got in trouble, which means you won't do it again!'

"DO WHAT AGAIN? WHAT I'M DOING NOW? I'M ARGUING WITH YOU, WHILE I WAS TALKING WITH TONKS, IT'S ALMOST THE SAME THING!' He yelled, losing his temper completely. Then he got a bit smug himself and added, 'Plus, I didn't even loose a single point. Not in trouble as long as it stays innocent.'

'And if I can prove it wasn't innocent?'

'What're you gonna do? Drug me? Even if you did, you'd find out it we weren't doing anything.' Tonks walked in just as Harry finished his sentence.

'Quiet down, Harry, people were starting to get worried in the common room. You're coming in loud and clear. So, how much trouble did you get in?' She asked.

'None. But that's wrong because according to the genius, we were having a snogging session.' He said, still angry.

'That's right. I'd come to the dormitory, to have a snog with _HARRY POTTER _of all people on the planet, when there are broom closets that are so private. Yeah Hermione, you're a real genius.'

'Even if it was innocent, he still shouldn't have been up here.' She said, pointing a finger accusingly, and turning red as she realized that Tonks was right.

'Would you three shut up? God, I came up here so I could study! Go fight somewhere else.' The girl who told Harry he could come in said, poking her head out from behind her four poster bed. Harry scoffed, and stalked out, slamming the door behind him. Tonks glared at Hermione and followed him. She didn't see him in the common room, so she went outside, and found him stalking off towards the forest. As she ran to catch up with him, she noticed him walking into the Forbidden Forest.

'HARRY!' She yelled, knowing that, even in broad day light, it was a bad idea to go in there. He stopped and turned around, waiting for her to catch up. As she finally did, she felt small waves of power flowing off of him.

_'Woah.' _She thought to herself, but didn't dare to say it out loud. _'That's a new trick. Where'd he learn I wonder.' _Then, she grabbed his hand, and pulled him away from the forest.

'Bad idea Harry. Even in day light, it's a bad idea to go in there.' She said dragging him away. Nodding, he stopped and pulled out his wand.

'Just looking for something to take frustration out on.' At that he pointed his wand at a tree.

_'BOMBARDA!' _He cried, and an invisible force blew the tree he was pointing at to splinters.

'Wee Doggies. Hey I've always wanted to say that." She shot him a beaming smile before continuing. 'Nice shot Harry. Let me try.' She took aim and repeated the spell, but noticed it only snapped, while Harry's nearly exploded. He did it again, and this time it nearly consumed the tree. Tonks tried, again, putting all the force she could muster, and it only ended up like Harry's did the first time, except she was left worn out, while he acted like it took the same amount of energy to flick off a fly.

'Harry, try putting all the force into you can.' She said wanting to do a little experiment. He nodded and a look of concentration went over his face.

_'BOMBARDA!' _Harry almost yelled, an incredible force came from his wand, that threatened to throw Tonks, but she stood her ground. It shot off causing the first tree it came in contact with to explode into tiny splinters, and the ones behind it do the same. It finally stopped as it hit a third row of trees, knocking the three of them over like it was nothing. Harry was doubled over panting, and Tonks was in shock. She had never seen anything like this, although that wasn't saying much.

'Harry...that...was amazing.' She said, still staring at the place where the trees were.

'What? The spell? Yeah it's neat I got it from a book on offensive spells I saw in the lib-'

'No not the spell!' She said looking at him like he was an idiot. 'The damage it did when you threw it. It was like you were playing Muggle bowling. Watch, here's all the damage I can do.' She took aim at a tree that was undamaged, and started concentrating on pushing everything she had into her wand.

'_BOMBARDRA!' _The force came, stronger then last time, but splintered the tree instead of consuming them as Harry's spell, though it still left her winded for a few minutes.

'No see look, you did something weird with your wand.' He motioned for her to mimic him. 'See, you have to stick your arm out, and swing it around. Stop as soon as it lines up with the target.' She nodded, and followed his movement while saying the spell, and watched as the distorted air slammed into the tree, and watched as it destroyed it.

'I see you two have something against trees.' Said a calm voice from behind them.

'Headmaster.' Tonks muttered, 'Just who I wanted to see.' If Dumbledore heard, he didn't show it.

'Professor, have you seen Harry's bombardment spell?' She asked looking at him.

'No, I'm afraid I haven't. Harry, if you could?' Harry nodded, taking aim again, and...

'_BOMBARDA!' _Harry yelled, the force of the spell was a little weaker, but still enough to threaten to push Tonks over. She watched again, as the first time, the spell consumed the first three trees it struck, and finally stopped on the third row of trees again. Dumbledore looked on like it was an everyday occurrence that a first year student put so much power into the spell.

'Yes, I see. Good job Harry. Though, I must add, I've never seen anything like that come from a first year. No offense, but usually first year students don't have the power it takes to do that.' He seemed to think about it for a second. 'How about I start teaching you to better use this power, Harry? If you have this much power, it could be use in unimaginable ways, if harnessed correctly.'

'That would be nice.'

'How about on Friday, after dinner? That'd be once a week.' Harry just nodded again. Dumbledore nodded, and turned, walking back into the school. They watched him until he disappeared, then Harry pointed his wand at a single tree and said a spell under his breath. She watched as the tree pulled itself back together, then turned and followed Harry who had just started going back to the castle.

'Nice job. Destroyed part of the forest, and now you get personal lessons from Dumbledore.'

'Yeah, aren't I lucky? Get to see more of the crazy old bat.' He said. 'I have half a mind to use the spell on Hermione if she keeps bugging me.'

'Don't think the school board would take that too well.'

'Me neither. Doesn't mean it wouldn't be fun.' She stared at him. 'If it weren't for the death thing.' He added noticing the look she was giving him. They walked the rest of the way up to the dormitory.

'Want to play chess?'

'Yeah' They went upstairs, sat down, and started playing.

'Harry! HARRY!' Harry felt himself getting shaken awake.

'What.' He muttered through his pillow.

'Come on, get up.'

'Why?' He muttered, realizing it would be nearly impossible for her to understand him.

'Cuz' it's Christmas stupid!' She said, still shaking him.

'So?'

'Come on an open your presents!' Harry lifted his head up in shock. He had presents?

'I...I have _presents?' _He asked in shock. She sighed and grabbed his hand, pulling him out of bed, then blushed, not knowing he slept in only his boxers.

'Oh...erm...sorry Harry. I'll-I'll just...just...go...yeah...' She turned and walked off. He ripped his trunk open and grabbed some pants and a shirts, pulled them on, and met Tonks right outside the door.

'Sorry Harry. Didn't know you slept without pants.' She said, having recovered from the initial shock. 'And why the hell did you ask if you had presents?' Harry flushed slightly and tilted his head down slightly. A look of comprehension and guilt came over her features.

'Oops. Well, to hell with them anyway, comeon Harry, lets go!' She practically dragged him down the stairs, and started tossing presents to him. He caught them and realized he had a few, but didn't take the time to count them, as he ripped one open. He realized it was from Tonks, as it said so on the package. He grinned, realizing it was a wand holster.

'It fits on your leg, forearm, upper arm, and thigh.' She said, watching his face. Harry pulled up his pants leg and strapped it on, dropping his wand in it. She grinned and hugged him. She opened Harry's gift, which was a booked called, _'How to become an Auror from day one.' _Harry had discovered she wanted to be an Auror when they were talking in the one time. She hugged him again muttering her thanks. From Hermione he got a broom servicing kit, and a book called "_Quidditch through the Ages.' _He grinned, having been almost certain Hermione would get him a book. Ron got him a lot of sweets, a sweater from his mum with an H on it, and some of her cherry pie. Sure, it wasn't much compared to what all Tonks was pulling out, but it was still nice. Then, he noticed a gift that he'd missed. On it, there was a tag that said,

_To: Harry_

_From: Andromeda_

Harry grinned and opened it to find a small golden ball on a small red cushion in a small clear box that had written on it in gold letters, '_Official World Cup Snitch' _and the box had a small note on it.

'_Merry Christmas Harry!_

_Tonks owled me the other day and said that you'd become Seeker, and swallowed the snitch. So I thought you'd enjoy having one that wasn't half digested._

_Andromeda Tonks.'_

Harry couldn't help but grin. Tonks looked over at it and grinned too.

'She didn't tell me she was getting you anything or I would've taken for it myself.' Harry swatted her, and she gaped at him.

'What's wrong with you? You can't hit a lady!' She slapped him across the back of the head. He grinned and went upstairs for a second, which Tonks assumed he was taking his presents and putting them in his trunk, then came back with his broom.

'Come on, I want to try it out.' He said, motioning for her to follow. She ran her presents upstairs, throwing them in her trunk haphazardly, and ran downstairs to find him waiting. She nodded silently, and they ran almost all the way to the Quidditch pitch.

'HAHA! I BEAT YOU HARRY!" Tonks yelled touching the side of the stadium as he jogged over.

'No fair. You tripped me!' He said frowning. She gave him an innocent grin.

'Did not.'

'Did...No! No way! I'm not going through that little fight with you, it's a pain! Betcha I can catch the Snitch before you!'

Tonks scowled, and hopped on the school broom, taking off, Harry following her. He stopped in the air, and pulled out the little clear box, and noticed a piece of parchment in it. He pulled it open and read the note, which explained the history behind the snitch, and then how to use it. It told Harry to just toss the ball in the air, and it would fly off eventually. It also said to tap it with his wand and say a certain word that would make it return when called. He tapped it and said, 'Power To Gryffindor.', then tossed it. The small gold ball dropped for a few seconds, then suddenly shot off out of sight.

'Ready? Let's see who can catch it first!' She nodded and they both rose to around a hundred feet in the air. After a minute or two of searching, Harry suddenly went into a sharp dive. Tonks gasped and went after him. Laughing he suddenly pulled out of the dive, doing loops and other stuff, leaving Tonks completely confused. Suddenly, she understood as she saw a glint of gold in Harry's hand.

'How did you catch it so easily?'

'Well, you see, I'm a Seeker, and they look for these.' He was talking to her like she was three.. Tonks swatted him on the back of the head.

'Let's go back in. I'm hungry.' Tonks said after a moment. Harry nodded and landed. As they walked back, Harry's Snitch got away from him, and shot off. Harry gasped and, forgetting about being able to call it back, shot off after it. He flew after it, going with every motion, and realized it was going towards the forbidden forest, suddenly slammed himself flat against the broom, feeling dizzy at the speed. He resisted the urge to stop, and suddenly jerked the broom straight up, then going forward again after the small golden ball.

Tonks just watched as he made complicated moves, thinking he was trying to impress her or something. Or maybe he'd just lost it, and thought he was playing Quidditch, or had lost it and thought he was being chased by a rogue Bludger. Either way, she wasn't impressed. Harry watched as the Snitch started to go into a complicated movement. He followed it, going upside down in circles, rolling to miss the occasional branch that stuck up too far. He to jerk his broom up, only to pull it back down as the snitch went in every direction imaginable, him right behind it, thankful he hadn't gone..._'Never mind.' _He thought as it went down into the forest, him right on it's tail. Tonks gasped as he dropped into the forest, and after a minute was starting to worry. About thirty seconds later, she was halfway on her broom, when Harry shot out of the forest, going straight up right on it's tail. His fingers were still about a foot off, but the Snitch's wings suddenly folded up, and it landed neatly in his hand. Harry grinned, thinking he'd caught it, and not realizing that Snitches didn't do that.

Tonks sighed in relief as he came back towards the school, lazily slow. Stomach growling, she waved at him, as he came back. She then smacked him. Over the back of the head.

'WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!'

'My Snitch got away!' He said, putting his hands up, one still gripping the small golden ball.

'Snitch got away my ass! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING GOING INTO THE FOREST? IT COULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN AWAY BECAUSE ONLY A SPELL WOULD LEAVE THE BALL WITHOUT FLAPPING LIKE HELL!' She screamed, smacking him over the head again.

'Well, that's something I haven't heard. I just wanted it to come back. I thought it just did that after a set amount of time.'

'Maybe it does. I don't know exactly. Anyway, come on, let go get breakfast.' Harry grinned, his stomach growled, and he went after her.

xXxXxXxXx

They had spent the day exploring the grounds around Hogwarts, and exploring Hogwarts itself. Not really much had happened. They talked, went and visited Hagrid, and sat by the lake, watching the squid try to escape from some strange creatures. It did, by simply batting them to the otherside of the lake. Tonks and Harry sat and watched, laughing occasionally as a creature hit a new record in distance. After the squid got tired, or at least they assumed it was, and layed up in the sun, the two turned and went towards the dormitories.

They made it upstairs and had gotten into the portrait hole students laughed and pointed as the two stepped in, causing Harry to look up.

'Uhm, Tonks, we have a problem.'

'What?'

'Mistletoe.' She looked up and blushed.

'No way Harry. No no no!'

'There's a jinx set on it. If the couple don't, they get jinxed with the bat-bogey hex. So proud of Fred and George Weasley for that one.' Harry frowned making a mental note to kill them too. He turned and looked at Tonks, who sighed and threw her arms around Harry's neck, slowly, yet forcefully pressing her lips against his. Harry thought he heard cat calls and whistles from somewhere, but he also could've died and not known it. Right now, he was in heaven. He was just about to put his arms around her waist, when she pulled away, blushing a color deeper then the Weasley families hair, and ran off the the girls dorms. Harry sighed and went to his own bed.

AN: Ok, first off, sorry about the delay. I got Kingdom Hearts Two...and I'm addicted...plus I got this plot, that happens to be for a KH2 story, and has reached thirty pages so far and growing. I'll eventually put that up if anyone cares. I literally couldn't sleep until I put it down on something. Also, to those who saw the first fourth chapter, it'll eventually show up in the seventh book. I got the idea from somewhere but I forgot. I didn't like some things in the chapter and changed it. Sorry.

Thanks for all the reviews and all the new readers/reviewers! There's a bunch, and I don't have the energy to put all 27 names (which has grown now...update that number in your head.), so I'm only going to put one, and that's because this person got it right. I'll put the review on here too for anyone who cares.

Review:

_Soldier of the Moon: __Typical way would be having Harry as an heir but I think you should have him be undetectable to magic so he isn't affected by charms/wards (though not curses & hexes). Maybe have him keep all his magic inside his body so the charms/wards can't 'see' him._

Love the story (as well as Regulus' ones)  
Good Job and Update Soon.  
Soldier of the Moon.

Response:

Congratulations! You're the only one to get it right! Yay and all that happy stuff. Oh, and I didn't decide this after I saw the review. I actually have had the story written up to this point, except I had to go back and beta them, after I realized how screwed up everything was, and I wanted to change a thing here and there. So, yes, I've made people suffer because I'm so nice. And something else, Harry is not a metamorphmagus. I think it's over used, and I just realized the more I talk about it, the more I'm getting the urge to use it. Ok disregard what I said, I _MIGHT _use it. MIGHT! But if I do, it's not going to be anytime soon. I"m gonna let Harry grow up a bit first...gain more control over his powers.


	5. Fluffy Isn't So Fluffy

_How to Save a Life_

_Fluffy Isn't So Fluffy_

'Again!'

'I can't!'

'Yes! You can! Now, do it again!' Harry groaned, his arm shaking with the effort of picking up his arm.

'_bombard-_' He was cut off by collapsing, not having the energy to duck out of the way of the spell coming at him.

'Get up! Again! Come now Mr. Potter I know you can do this! Use the spell Albus taught you!' Harry felt himself being lifted off the ground, not by a human, but by a force, and picked his arm back up.

'_abyssus incendia!' _He ground out weakly. The effect came after a second, leaving Harry on the ground, again, as a small fireball, about the size of a half-dollar coin, slowly worked it's way towards the grease ball. He make a swiping motion with his wand, to no avail, then ducked.

'Very good, Mr. Potter. I see that even your tiny brain can figure out how to do that, though it was pitiful. Allow me to show at least a decent sized one.' He made a swift jab at Harry with his wand. '_Abyssus incendia!' _Harry thought this was unfair judgment. He was only a second year after all.

Harry leaped out of bed. Second year? Where did that come from? He was only in first year! Harry sighed and picked up his wand.

'Time?' He muttered, and holding his wand by the middle, vertically, made a straight sweeping motion. In the area where Harry moved his wand, fiery red numbers showed. _5:32:29._ Harry groaned. Five-thirty in the morning? Who was awake this early? Tonks poked her head through the door and looked at him, happy to see him wearing pants. Ok, who other than Tonks is up this early. Harry motioned for her to go away as he pulled clothes out of his trunk. He looked up to find her on his bed. After a rude gesture and a punch in the arm, she left glaring. Harry couldn't help but laugh at the look on her face when he flipped her off, and tried to laugh quietly. He quickly left and made it to the common room before he finally broke out laughing. He saw bright blue hair jerk towards him, before dropping to the floor, and not being able to move.

'Payback time for embarrassing me like that Mr. Potter.' She said, grinning sadistically. Getting her arms under he shoulders and pulling onto the couch, she was glad to see that his mouth was open slightly. Slowly, she planted her lips on his, and continued to explore Harry's mouth, making him blush deeply. He was sure if the lights were out, he would glow in the dark. There was no way he couldn't! After Tonks pulled away, she smiled sweetly and walked out. Harry glowered as he realized she hadn't uncursed him. She would be down three flights of stairs by now! Harry growled at realized his nose itched. Of all the times? He lifted his arm, still thinking of how to get uncursed, and realized, that his arm moved. Grinning at the thought, he got up, and left. He was almost at the Great Hall, still strangely giddy from this morning's event, when he heard Quirrell's stutter.

'Dunno.' Was all he heard him say, but froze as he heard Snape's voice.

'Bull. I know you let the troll in on Halloween! I found you going up to the third floor? Do you take me as a fool?'

'Was trying to stop someone from getting to the large dog.' He muttered weakly. (gave up on his stutter by the way. Way to hard to get it right.)

'Do you take me for a fool? I'm not so stupid that I wouldn't think a student would go up there. Hell, after what Dumbledore told them, not one single student would go up there, and all the teachers wouldn't dare. Except you. You seem to be the black sheep.' He said, and Harry could almost hear the sneer on his face. 'I once again suggest you watch where your loyalties lay.' He heard Quirrell oomph as he was pushed into a wall, then Harry heard footsteps walking for the corner. Harry started to jerk out his invisibility cloak, but, no! Too late! Snape looked at him, his hand half way to his pocket and frowned.

'What did you hear? I'm not stupid Mr. Potter, I know you heard some of that.' Harry shook his head, but Snape pointed his wand at him.

'_Obliviate_' He said lazily. Harry saw the memory flash before his eyes. He was walking to the corner, but he broke eye contact with Snape. The memories stopped flashing, but they were still there, and becoming fuzzy. Snape seemed happy when Harry's memories turned to this. He jerked his wand back, and Harry finally remembered something.

'Happy Halloween!' He said, then wondered why he said that. It wasn't Halloween! He remembered the memories, but they were kind of fuzzy. He turned and ran to the Great Hall, praying Tonks was there. The memories were fading fast, and he had to find her before they were gone. Harry rushed in, panting, and found her. He grabbed her hand, which was reaching for her fork, and pulled her out of the Great Hall, she protesting about breakfast the entire time, and shoved her into a broom closet.

'Coming for round two of this morning Harry?'

'Not now! Listen, the memory is fading fast!' He quickly recounted the situation, having to stop occasionally to remember something, but suddenly sighed and shook his head, the conversation gone.

'What was I thinking? Must've imagined something. I just walked down the hall, and slipped and hit my head. Must've made me think this up. All a story I guess!' He said laughing. Tonks sighed. The memory charm had finally taken over. There was no way Harry could be that care-free. That wasn't in his personality.

Tonks took him up to the common room, and they found Hermione and Ron, fighting of course, but had no idea over what, as Hermione just huffed and went stomping up the stairs. Ron shrugged and turned to them.

'So! Have a nice holiday?' Tonks started telling him what Harry told her, while he was staring at her like she was insane.

'And then, Snape put a memory charm on Harry, so he can't remember.'

'Shouldn't we tell Hermione?'

'No.' Harry said bluntly.

'Come on Harry. I know she's being an ass, but still..she could help. When we go down I mean.' Harry sighed and nodded, gesturing for her to go ahead. Tonks ran off, and Harry turned to Ron, who jerked his head towards the chessboard. Harry nodded, and they started to play, or in Harry's case, get throttled.

xXxXxXxXx

Tonks and Hermione came down just in time to hear Ron declare checkmate. They walked out, deciding to go see Hagrid. On their way there, nothing interesting happened. (Haha, you thought something important was gonna happen.) They reached Hagrid's hut, and knocked. A voice resounded through the door, and was cracking a little

'Go away, I'm busy right now.'

'We know about the Sorcerer's Stone!' They called, nearly at the same time. Hagrid wrenched his door open, and let them in, wide eyed.

'What's wrong Hagrid?' Harry asked, noticing his tear-streaked face.

'Oh. I won a dragon egg down in the pub, but it hatched, and nearly burned my house down, so I had to ship him off.' Harry frowned, remembering him saying one time in their visits that he had always wanted a dragon.

'Did you see his face?' Hagrid shook his head, and Harry's stomach dropped through his feet, and headed towards the center of the earth. Hagrid must've noticed this because he said,

'That isn't unusual down in the Hog's Head. Lot of dodgy people down there.' He said frowning.

'Did he mention Hogwarts?' Hagrid frowned.

'Mighta came up. Can't remember too well, he kept buying me drinks. Wanted to see if I could handle the dragon before he even considered playing cards over it. But I said to him, I said, after managing Fluffy, a dragon would be easy. You just play a bit of music and they fall right to sleep...I shouldn't have told you that...' He said, frowning. Harry immediately jumped up and ran off, yell a quick 'good bye' over his shoulder.

'Harry wait up!' Tonks cried, tackling him.

'What!' He said angered. They had to go. One of his teachers were going down the trapdoor tonight.

'Where're you going?'

'To get ready! _Someone _is going through that door tonight!' Tonks nodded, putting the clues together. She got off his back and pulled him up, forgetting about Hermione and Ron.

xXxXxXxXx

Harry paced infront of the fire, waiting for everyone to leave. As Lee Jordan muttered a sleepy 'g'night' Harry went at the portrait. Tonks and the other three saw him get up, and followed after him. They were just about to make it to the third floor corridor when Snape showed up and took fifty points from each of them, and nearly threw them back into the common room. Harry sighed, and pulled out his invisibility cloak. Hermione was nearly in tears, having never lost more than ten points. They went back and tried again, this time making it into the third floor corridor with no run-ins with anyone. Walking into the room, they found harp playing, and a snoring Fluffy.

'Looks like Snape or Quirrell have come by already. Comeon, help me move it's paw.' Harry said, walking over to it. They pulled it open, and Harry instructed them on what to do if he didn't live. It was when they started hearing growls that Tonks pointed out that the music had stopped. She also jumped down the trap door first. Harry tried to distract the dog so that Hermione and Ron could get down by plucking random strings on the harp. The dog's eyes drooped, and Harry ran over to jump down the hole before Fluffy woke up. However, it was awake enough to nick Harry's shoulder, which he held until he reached the bottom. _'What a nice landing.' _Harry thought, patting it.

An: HAHA YES I'M COLD AND HEARTLESS! What's worse is, _you _know what's gonna happen, but _they _don't know what's gonna happen. By the way, I want to set something straight. This is the most successful fanfic I've ever written. I don't care if it's beaten by my KH2 fic. I won't even be posting my KH2 fic for a while. I won't until I have at least ten chapters worth of content. Right now I only have seven! But, the point to this is, I'm not abandoning this fic. I refuse. The reason chapter four was delayed was:

1. I had to change three pages worth of content because I didn't like it, but I decided only after I posted it on for about 15 minutes. The whole time, I was being bugged by the thought of it.

2. I have a bad case of writer's block. On both fics actually. I didn't drop this fic so I could write on my KH2 one. I'm still stuck on that one. I don't want to sound mean. Sorry if it does. It just seems like all my reviewers think I'm gonna drop this fic for another one.


	6. Stupid Plant Thing

_'How Strange. It's all...leafy.'_

_How to Save a Life_

_Stupid Plant Thing_

'It's a good thing this plant was here to break our fall.' Ron said, looking around. 'Sorta dark though.'

'Yes...Lumos.Hermione said, a small light coming from her want. She then gasped. Wrapped up tightly, none of them could move. 'This is Devil's Snare!' She exclaimed after a second.

'Oh yeah, knowing it's name's going to help. How do we get out of it!' Tonks half yelled, struggling with it.

'We have to relax. If you don't, it'll only kill us faster.'

'_Kill us faster? _Thanks Hermione, that's a real help.' Ron nearly screamed. She sneered at him, before closing her eyes, and taking a deep breath. The vines released their grip on her, and she jumped away from the plant.

'Just relax!' She said, waving her arms franticly. However, with the thought be being killed by a plant, Harry personally found it hard to relax.

'Uhhhmm...heat! It can't survive in heat! Oohhh, but there's no wood!' Ron's face pulled a priceless expression.

'HERMIONE ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT!' She jumped at his sudden outburst.

'Oh...yes...' Moving her wand in a sweeping motion, flames appeared all around the Devil's Snare, and it promptly released them. Tonks, Harry, and Ron gingerly got off the plant.

''There's no wood'?' Ron said, eyeing Hermione. 'Glad to see you can think in a tight situation.' Hermione blushed and motioned for Harry to take the lead. They walked forward, and went into a simple, everyday door, that was completely out of place in the gloomy tunnel. Slowly inching it open, Harry gagged as a smell hit him. The smell of rotten, eighty year old eggs was coming from behind it. Pulling his robe over his face, Harry entered the room, wand ready for anything. Or, so he thought.

In front of him, was the head of a troll. He screamed. It was staring at him. However, it was dead, with it's eyes still open. Moving to the other side of the room, avoiding the body off to the side, they pulled open the door, and gulped in the fresh air.

'Ok. That...never happened.' They other three nodded silently and looked up. Small birds were floating over their heads. Noticing the brooms, Harry realized, that they weren't birds. They were keys. Looking around, he spotted it. An old silver key with two bent wings was fluttering haphazardly though the air. 'We have to catch one of those keys. That silver one.' He said, pointing at it. Grabbing a broom and kicking off, he chased it up and down and around, all the while being attacked by the golden keys. Pinning it against the wall with a sickening crunch, he landed, glad the keys had stopped trying to maul him. Smashing it into the keyhole and turning it, they pulled open the door and walked through.

'What is it with these people and dark places? First the stupid plant thing was dark. Then that last place was a bit dim, now this stupid place is dark!' Ron exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air. Expecting the ceiling to fall in on them, Harry gingerly walked forward. Whipping out his wand in surprise due to the self-lighting torches, Harry realized that they were in the middle of a giant chessboard.

'Ron...you take this one.' He said. Ron nodded.

'Okay then. I'll take the knight. Harry, you take the queen side castle. Hermione, king side bishop. Tonks...you can be a pawn.' He finished laughing, but it turned to a yell after a swift kick to the shins. 'Just...kidding...owww...Tonks you're the other castle.' The pieces that were named moved off the field, and were replaced by the four children. Ron took charge, commanding each piece with perfect strategy. It was only when half the pawns from each side were gone, that Harry realized what he was doing. Ron's plan was to take out all the pawns, then take out everything bigger. Harry grinned as the last pawn went flying off the board. Ron frowned as the queen took out their knight.

'Ok Harry. After I move, you checkmate the king.' Ron said slowly. Harry frowned at him, the board, then jerked his head back at Ron.

'No. No way Ron, there has to be another way.'

'What's he going to do?' (Yes, for some reason, I added a dramatic scene. Must be from the lack of internet...see AN.)

'He's gonna sacrifice himself.'

'Ron no!'

'Isn't there another way?' Tonks asked, looking around, and frowned when she realized that there wasn't another way. Ron, however, ignored them and moved. With a gulp, he announced check. The queen ran up and planted her foot in the side of the horse, sending it soaring into a wall. The trio winced at the sight, before continuing the game. Harry walked over near the king.

'Checkmate.' Was all he said, before the pieced moved over, making a pathway to the door. All three of them walked through the path, and into the door, that was more of an archway now that Harry got a closer look. They made it through the archway, just as black flames shot out of nowhere, and met at the center creating an X shape, which covered the whole archway. A blue stream flames with white mixed in created the same motion on the archway on the other side of the room. In the middle of the room was a small rise from the floor, and on it were a series of vials, with a piece of parchment.

_Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,_

_Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,_

_One among us seven will let you move ahead,_

_Another will transport the drinker back instead,_

_Two among our number hold only nettle wine,_

_Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line._

_Choose unless you wish to stay here forevermore,_

_To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:_

_First, however slyly the poison tries to hide_

_You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;_

_Second, different are those who stand at either end,_

_But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;_

_Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,_

_Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;_

_Fourth, second to the left and the second on the right_

_Are twins once you taste them, through different at first sight._

Hermione read over the riddle, muttering the word 'Brilliant' over and over again.

'I'm sorry Hermione, but what's so bloody brilliant? This isn't brilliant, this is hard. Oh great, we're gonna _die_. Thanks Hermione. Now I know that it's brilliant that we're gonna _die_.' Tonks said throwing her hands in the air and throwing a pebble at the black flames. With a loud crack, all that was left of the pebble was ash.

'No, we're not 'gonna die', as you put it. I can get us out of this.' Tonks looked at the bottles.

'Which one is wine?' She said, surveying them. Hermione walked back and forth infront of them, before finally pointing to one.

'That one...why do you need to...no!' She said, grabbing Tonks' wrist, which was headed for the wine.

'I want something that will put me in a peaceful oblivion, where there's no Dark Load, or stupid stone!' She said, struggling to get the bottle.

'Tonks, if we live through this, I swear, we'll share it.' Harry said, pull sighing. 'So how do we get out of this, Hermione?' He said, frowning. Hermione picked up two small vials.

'This one,' She said, holding up one with a liquid that had a clear color in it. 'Will take you two through that fire.' She said, pointing at the black flames. 'Closer to the stone. This one, will take me to Ron, and we'll go get help.' Hermione nodded, as through trying to convince herself that this would work.

'There's only enough for one gulp!' Tonks said frowning, and stuffing the bottle of wine in her robe pocket. Hermione pulled out her wand and waved it at the vial, which flickered for a second, before springing to the side as another took it's place.

'There. One for each of you. Now, hurry, that'll only last a few more seconds. It's a temporary doubling charm. I read about it in-'

'That's great Hermione, now go save Ron, or I'll have to die.' Tonks said, grabbing the vial and running at the flames. Harry grabbed his and followed her.

'Use the brooms in the key room and owl Dumbledore.' Harry said. She nodded solemnly.

'Good luck you two!' She said, gulping the contents of her small vial and running through the flames. Tonks did the same and ran through. Harry sighed and gulped his down, shivering as a sudden freezing feeling came over him. Walking through the black flames, his stomach in a knot, Harry found Tonks standing on the other side.

'Hermione needs to learn to stop talking. The thing was wearing off in the middle of the flames! It singed my robes!' She said, looking at the tail of her robes. Harry ignored her and pulled out his wand, walking forward into the darkness ahead. Tonks kept close behind him, her wand also out. As he came close to a shadow, he realized it was a door. Pushing the door open, Harry found the last thing he expected.

xXxXxXxXx

Hermione shivered as she ran up to Ron, casting _Enervate _in an attempt to wake him. Finally, after a few tries, her started to come around. As he sat up, Hermione swung her arms around him in a tight hug.

'Thank god you're okay. I was afraid that you were...anyway, come on, we have to hurry! Harry and Tonks're fighting something, and we have to get help.' She put his arm behind her neck and helps hoist him up. As they limped over to the entrance, Ron got a bit of strength and balance back. Pulling away from Hermione, Ron started to job towards the key room, Hermione right on his tail. Ron hopped on the broom and motioned for her to get on behind him. She held onto him by the waist, as he kicked off, going towards where the trap door above the now dead plant was. Shooting through the door, they jumped off and ran towards the door that lead to the third floor corridor.

xXxXxXxXx

Snape and Quirrell were shoot spells at each other at a rapid rate, but stopped when Quirrell saw Tonks and Harry.

'So, the two first years decide to finally join us.' Quirrell said, his stutter gone. Tonks aimed her wand at Quirrell, Harry's was at Snape's head.

'Explain.' Harry said, not knowing where his sudden commanding attitude came from.

'Quirrell here is acting under the influence of the Dark Lord, and of his own accord. So kindly get your wand out of my face and _in.to.his._' Snape ground out the last few words. Harry glanced over at Tonks, who nodded. Together they let a Stunner escape from their wands. Harry's caught Snape by surprise, who found himself on his back, unable to move. Quirrell, however, seemed to be expecting it and put up a shield. Snapping his fingers, ropes conjured into the air, wrapping themselves around the young children.

'Now, stay quiet as I try to figure this contraption out.' Harry looked at it and realized it was the Mirror of Erised.

_Flashback (I know you hate me for delaying you like this.)_

_Harry walked around, exploring with his new invisibility cloak. After exploring the halls a little, he found himself in an empty room, except for a strange mirror. As he walked up to it, all he could see in his reflection was himself...with a whole crowd of people behind him. Jumping around to see, there was still nothing but an empty room. Looking again, Harry found that these people must be his relatives seeing as they looked just like the pictures he had of them. Finally, after about half an hour of just looking at his parents, not knowing what else to do, he left. The next night found him sitting in the same spot. Harry jumped as Dumbledore made his appearance._

_'I see that you, like many before you, have found the Mirror of Erised.' Harry nodded. 'It does not do well to dwell on dreams Harry. This mirror shows no one neither truths nor lies. All it shows it the heart's utmost deepest desires. Tomorrow, the mirror will be moved to a new home, and I must ask that you not go looking for it again.' Harry only nodded in sadness, realizing that this would be his last time at seeing his parents._

_End Flashback_

_'Well congratulations to me. I found the bloody mirror.' _Harry thought to himself. During Harry's little flashback, Quirrell had been examining the mirror. Finally, an ominous voice filled the room.

_'Use the boy.' _With a crack, the ropes disappeared.

'COME HERE POTTER!'

_'No need to yell.' _Harry thought, getting up and walking over to the mirror.

'Now, tell me what you see.' The reflection of himself winked at him, before pulling a red crystal shaped stone from his pocket, and then dropping it back in. Harry felt his pocket sag suddenly, with what Harry suspected was the stone.

'I see myself...shaking hands with the minister of magic...I'm taking Dumbledore's place as headmaster.' He said, making things up as they came to mind.

'_The boy...he lies.' (hahaha! Favorite line in the whole stinkin' thing.)_

'Fine then. It seems that we'll have to use force to loosen that tongue of yours.' He said, smirking evilly. Quirrell turned on his heel, and walked over to Tonks.

'No! Don't kill her! I'll...' He froze when Quirrell started laughing.

'No no, I won't kill her...I'll just do something to loosen up that mouth of yours. _Crucio!'_ He said in a voice filled with triumph. Tonks screamed and writhed in pain. Without a second thought, he took two strides to get over to Quirrell and a third to ram himself into the man. Tonks stopped screaming, but Quirrell started two, before pushing Harry off of him.

_'Let me talk to him.' _The voice said again.

'No master, you are not strong enough yet!'

'_I have strength enough for this.' _Quirrell started to unravel the turban on his head, and had the situation not been so serious, Harry would've laughed. Sticking out of the back of Quirrell's head was Voldemort.

'Yes. Nice to see you again Harry. Look at what you've reduced me to? I'm stuck to living with other creatures now, and surviving on unicorn blood.' Harry vaguely remembered Hagrid complaining about unicorn killings.

'But think of what we could do if you were to give me the stone in your pocket? We could do unimaginable things! Even bring back your parents?' That was when the little freak when over the line.

'You want the stone?' He said, pulling it out of his pocket. Voldemort's eye's glowed at the sight of it. 'TAKE IT!' Harry threw the stone as hard as he could at Voldemort, hitting him right in the forehead. It bounced off with enough force for Harry to take a few steps forward and catch it again.

'KILL HIM!' Quirrell jumped for his throat, but Harry took a leaf out of Tonks' book and nailed him. Quirrell fell over, wheezing in a high pitched voice, while Harry grabbed his neck to tell him he could burn in hell. However, Quirrell started squealing as the flesh on his neck started to burn. A sudden idea struck Harry as he pressed his hands onto Quirrell's face. Quirrell let out a high pitched shriek of pain and then his body turned to ash. Harry sighed, and sat for a second, trying to process all that had happened.

Suddenly remembering Tonks, Harry jumped up and ran over to her. Grabbing her shoulders, and giving her a slight shake he started to whisper her name. After a bit of goading from Harry, she finally came around.

'Harry...when we get out of here, we're definitely drinking that wine I got.' He chucked and swung her over his shoulder after she went back out of it. Turning to walk out he was met face to face with Dumbledore.

'It seems I arrived just in time.' He said, grinning, he eyes twinkling like mad. 'Let's get out of here and go to the hospital wing.' He said, conjuring a stretcher for Tonks.

AN: I'M SO SORRY ABOUT THE DELAY! I had such bad writer's block that I couldn't even finish sentences. I mean it was seriously bad writer's block. But after much reading, (look for a story by sib-ff, called the awakening, I think. It's a good fic. I've read it three times already.) Anyway, I really am sorry! Thank you those who have stuck with me so far. The next chapter will finish SS and start CoS. Also a special thanks to Mandy. Remembering the pain you caused me gave me the idea for what happened to Quirrell.


	7. Returning To Hell

_How To Save a Life_

_Chapter Seven_

_Returning to Hell_

Dumbledore had cast a strange spell on Harry and himself, and they both floated up towards the trap door. Fluffy hadn't barked at all at the presence of Dumbledore, much to Harry's enjoyment. With Tonks still tied up and thrown over his shoulder, they made their way up to the Hospital Wing. Upon seeing Harry, who must have been black and blue right now, along with the aches running through his body, Madam Promfrey ran past them. Setting Tonks down onto a bed, he flopped down in the one next to hers. A few minutes later, she came back with a small box that looked like a Muggle first aid kit.

Pulling out supplies, she cut the ropes off Tonks, then started healing the small cuts she had received. After Tonks was healed, she turned and started working on Harry.

'Mr. Potter, I would like to ask how you get yourself into these things, but I feel that it's better I not know.' Harry chuckled slightly, but looked over the matron's shoulder to see Tonks come to. He almost said something, but Tonks motioned for him to be quiet as she put the bottle of wine in the drawer next to her bed, the stretched, pretending to wake up.

'Oh...you're awake? Good. Put these on.' Poppy said, pulling a curtain around her bed. She turned and made a fierce swiping motion with her wand, causing any bruises he saw on himself to vanish. She tossed some P.J.'s at him, then pulled the curtain around Harry's bed.

'Hey Harry?' Tonks asked as he pushed the curtain away from himself.

'Yeah?'

'What did the stone look like?' She asked, sitting up. He pulled it out of his pocket. She 'oooh'd' at it. 'Can I see?' He tossed the little red stone at her.

'Voldemort doesn't like it as much anymore.' Tonks flinched slightly. 'I threw it at his head. Hit him right in the forehead.' They heard a wheezing laughter come from the doorway.

'I assume he didn't take that too well.' Came the voice of their headmaster.

'Not really. But it was funny...or at least it is now that that's over. I think I actually made him start bleeding.'

'I believe that that's the first time anyone has been able to draw blood from him. Well done Harry.' He said, grinning slightly. 'Now, I'm afraid that we must destroy the stone.' Harry stared at him, his mind reeling.

'But what about your Flamel? Won't he die?' Dumbledore smiled sadly.

'Yes. But he has enough elixir to last him long enough to get everything arranged and in order. After all, death is but the next adventure.' He said, holding out his hand to get the stone from Tonks. She sadly handed it over.

'Wait, Professor...can I come?' Harry said hesitantly. He didn't know why, but he felt the need to come with him. Tonks looked up at them both.

'I want to come too.'

'Can you walk, Miss Nymphadora?' Tonk scowled and started to get up, but then sat back down.

'Harry...come here.' He walked over to her, then she grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him around. She hopped on his back in a piggy back style.

'Yes, Professor, I believe I can get down there.' Harry's only reply was a grunt.

xXxXxXxXx

Somehow, they made it onto the grounds of the school without falling down the stairs. Dumbledore sat down the blood red stone in the grass, and started muttering, while making jabbing motions with his wand. Finally, he seemed satisfied and stood upright..

'Come. We need to get away before it explodes. I've upset it's balance.' Dumbledore said, swiftly walking away. There was a resounding crack, then a bright red light came out from the stone, before a loud explosion. Harry, forgetting about Tonks, walked over to the area. Where the stone once was, there was now nothing but red grass for about a five foot circle of it, a nearby tree's bark had turned red at the base. Blood red. The sight of it made Harry blanched slightly, realizing what could have happened had things gone bad with Voldemort.

Dumbledore turned and started to walk back to the school. Harry turned and followed him, all three lost deep in thought. Random thoughts crossed Harry's mind, as well as fear filled ones. Whatever curse Voldy-Quirrell had used on Tonks, it didn't look to friendly. Harry suppressed a shudder at the memory of her flailing around, screaming in pain. These pain filled thoughts carried him all the way up the staircases and into the infirmary. Harry walked up to Tonks' bed and let go, causing her to plop down, before plopping down on his own bed. Feeling a sudden rush of sleepiness, he was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

xXxXxXxXx

Harry slowly sat up, remembering waking up several times, but would instantly fall back to sleep. After shaking himself hard enough, Harry looked around, realizing that it was now night. As though on a cue, Dumbledore walked through the doors.

'Were you...waiting for me to wake up?' Harry asked, glancing down the hall leading away from the large room he was in. Harry saw, out of the corner of his eye, that Tonks was asleep still.

'No, but it was great timing on both parts. Mine for coming in at this time and you for waking up at that time. She's been through a great deal. The Cruciatus is indeed a horrible curse. I'm sorry that she was subjected to it.' He finished gravely, looking at Tonks. Harry got a strange feeling of Dumbledore picking up Harry's thoughts.

'I'm sorry to sound rude, because I know I will, but there's no way in hell I'm going back to the Dursley's. I was treated like a punching bag, and I won't go back. If Tonks would let me, I'd like to live with her.' Dumbledore frowned and sighed.

'I'm sorry Harry. I truly am. But I'm afraid you must stay with them. There's a blood protection spell placed upon their house. You'll be protected from Voldemort, since we now know he's still out there, and anyone else who wants to cause harm to you, as long as you can call that place home.'

'So lets go get a vial of blood from her, and I'll wear it like a necklace!' Harry said, getting up as though they should go do that now. Dumbledore studied him for a second before bursting out laughing.

'I see that there is a truth to the fact that children bring new ideas to life. I can see that you would enjoy that idea, but sadly, I'm afraid it does not work that way. You see, when Voldemort went to kill your mother, he gave her a choice. He told her to move and she might be spared. However, your mother gave up her life out of pure love, which saved you from being killed.' (QAN: Gag.) Harry made a face and resisted the urge to gag. He felt a wrenching feeling in his stomach when he realized that his mother gave her life to save him, but also realized that it was like it was a sappy romance drama. 'As long as you stay with your aunt, who has the same blood as Lily, you will be _safe_.' He said, then spotted a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean. 'I see that you have many fans, and that Mr. Weasley spared you the task of opening your Chocolate Frogs.' He reached for a box of the magical jelly beans. 'In my youth, I had the misfortune of coming across a vomit flavored one. I think that I will try one more...ah this one looks safe.' Dumbledore popped it in his mouth and chewed for a seconds. 'Alas...Earwax.' He said, and Harry let a small laugh out. Dumbledore wished him 'Godspeed in healing' and goodnight, before walking from the room.

Over the next few days, Tonks and Harry both got better. Harry was allowed to leave, but Tonks had to stay. Harry actually only had to stay a night, but because Tonks was held under the curse for so long (Harry had thought it was only a moment or so, but had ended up being about a half minute because he stood in shock, as Tonks was so kind to nearly strangle him over.), compared to her size, weight and other factors that he didn't understand, she had to stay for about a week, taking various potions, but Harry had to admit, under a guilty conscience, that he enjoyed Tonks being on such a strong dose of pain potion.

'So, What were you saying?' He said, trying not to laugh. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had actually just walked into the room, but Harry could tell she'd just taken her pain potion.

'You know what Harry, I like you, but not in that special way.' She said, slurring slightly. 'I mean, when I kissed you in the common room, I was just doing to say that I'd kissed Harry Potter. Plus, I wanted some blackmail to hand over your head for the rest of your life.' Harry turned a color darker than Ron's hair, as his two comrades broke out in laughter. Tonks stared at them blankly.

'Hey Hermione...no...what's your name...hermioninny!' Ron fell off the chair he was sitting in laughter. 'I've been thinking,' Harry muttered to Ron, 'Did it hurt?' Ron fell over in renewed laughter. 'We need to spend more girl time together. Next time we go to Diagon Ally, lets go shopping a Gringotts! That's a safe place to shop. Safest place in the world I hear. Hey Jarotter! (Jeh-rotter), if ol' Voldy is after you, you should go live there!' Tonks slurred all of this, not missing a beat over Ron and Harry's laughter. Tonks paused for a second before looking a Ron. 'Hey Ron, has anyone told you what a nice butt you've got?' This time, Ron blushed while Hermione and Harry broke out laughing.

After a day, Tonks was off 'the heavy stuff' as she called it, and the same day she was released, with a note sent to Mrs. Tonks. Tonks fought tooth and nail against Madam Promfrey, but she insisted that a note was to be sent to Tonks' mother and was about to call Dumbledore when she growled and left the room. Hermione went in a frenzy when she realized they had finals in a week and went into study overdrive mode. Harry thought he did rather well on them, but wouldn't know until their Hogwarts letters came in.

Ron had apparently met Hagrid while searching for his school items, and was help around by him, while the rest of his family went elsewhere for the rest of their supplies. So they went to visit him occasionally. The first visit left Harry embarrassed.

'I heard you was comin' Harry. So, I sent off to some friends and got yeh some pictures of them. I know you'll be a thumpun' good wizard, once you're trained up a bit o' course.' He then went on about the story of when Harry was a kid and how he was carried to the Dursley's by Hagrid. Harry exited the hut about an hour later with a flushed face, and Tonks teasing him unmercifully. The next day found them boarding the Hogwarts Express. The ride was uninteresting until Malfoy strutted in.

'Well if it isn't the group of misfits.' Ron went to punch him, but was shot back with a punch in the stomach by Goyle. Ron landed on Harry, winding him for a second.

'Potter, how'd you get covered in trash? Throw it out the window with a nice loud 'good riddance.' Harry snapped. He charged Malfoy and grabbed him by the throat, while slamming him into the compartment across from their own.

'Get away if you ever want to see daylight or anything else ever again.' Harry growled out. A look of fear crossed Malfoy's face before he was thrown sideways and skidded down the hall slightly. Harry turned and walked back in the compartment and sat down after closing the door. With a bit of cheek, Harry grinned. 'He's not coming back.'

AN: This chapter is dedicated to the reviewer Mandy, because from personal experience, I know it hurts for her to think. Just a thought I'm tossing around, I think I'm going to skip the main events of book two and go to book three. I'm not doing it to hurry and get to the books I want to, I'm actually doing it because it's pointless. I won't be using horcruxes (sorry don't have time to spell check that one. You're all already going to kill me as it is.) Shoot me a PM or review about the idea if you want. I'm really not sure yet.


	8. AN sorry!

I'm sorry, I can't update for a while. School just started and I'm up past my head in homework, plus we're moving...again. Seriously, I'm sorry people! Not to mention, my computer that I write this stuff on isn't working at the moment, so i have to go fix that, and I'm once more stuck with complete writers block. If I ever get through all that, I"ll have an update. I'm seriously sorry, BUT THIS FANFIC WON'T BE ABANDONED!

DarkenedxPhoenix


End file.
